Crab Apple Tree, Llanbister, Powys

Standing alone in the countryside near Llanbister in Powys, this venerable crab apple tree has the character of a survivor. Believed to be approaching the upper end of the natural life of a crab apple—possibly around eighty to ninety years old—it has endured decades of Welsh weather, flowering each spring and carrying its small, sharply flavoured fruit into autumn.

Crab apples have long held a place in the rural imagination. Their blossom is associated with love, fertility and marriage, while the fruit has traditionally been gathered by country households and foragers to make a brilliantly coloured jelly. Though smaller and more rugged than an orchard apple, the crab apple is one of the wild ancestors of many cultivated varieties and remains an important source of food and shelter for insects, birds and other wildlife.

Charles Sainsbury-Plaice photographed this tree in soft, atmospheric light, allowing its twisting branches and distinctive silhouette to dominate the composition. The surrounding fence and open ground give a sense of scale, while the misty horizon places the tree firmly within the quiet, working landscape of rural Wales. Rather than presenting an idealised woodland scene, the photograph celebrates the individual form of a single tree shaped by age, exposure and season.

Charles has spent decades photographing the British countryside and its changing relationship with farming, nature and stewardship. After working for HM The King for 25 years, he brings to his landscape photography a close understanding of rural life and of the trees, fields and tracks that give each place its identity.

Limited Edition Fine Art Print

This museum-quality Giclée artwork is printed using archival inks on Photo Rag paper. Framed editions are presented in a wooden Black & Gold Luxe Monti Italian frame, finished with a triple mount and Art Glass designed to reduce reflections and protect the print from ultraviolet light.

• 530 × 430 mm mounted and framed; frame size 790 × 690 mm. Edition of 125 plus 12 artist's proofs. £450 plus delivery. Print-only option £300 plus postage and packing.
• 780 × 580 mm mounted and framed; frame size 1080 × 850 mm. Edition of 125 plus 12 artist's proofs. £650 plus delivery.

For United States customers, framing and mounting may differ because prints are produced and framed in the USA by specialist partners. Alternative printing and display options can be quoted, and overseas delivery costs for framed artwork vary according to destination and specialist-shipping requirements.

Explore More

Discover more tree and woodland prints, browse our tree and woodland greeting cards, or view the complete Charles Sainsbury-Plaice collection. The stories of Britain's remarkable trees also feature in The Queen's Green Canopy.