IT might be a plapple, a crapple or just a plain old apple, but mystery surrounds a tree in a quiet corner of St John's, Worcester.

Camilla Bowitz's front garden is home to what could be a unique plum and apple tree.

But horticulturists, awaiting cuttings for examination, were today sceptical, as plums and apples have never been grown successfully together.

Miss Bowitz's neighbour Ivan Willis first noticed the unusual blossom when he moved in three years ago.

"I thought it was fascinating. You get this mix of cerise and white blossom," said the 50-year-old pensioner, who is a keen gardener.

"From what I understand about trees, they would not be propagated in that method. Why would anyone want to host a fruit-producing tree with a crab apple tree? You would want a fruit tree in its own right."

Mr Willis said he had tasted the mystery fruit when unripe, but could not tell if it was a plum or crab apple - and did not recall any stone in the fruit.

"I wouldn't argue with the experts. If it is a crab apple, then I would bow down to them," he added.

Ken Tobutt, of East Malling's Horticulture Research International in Kent, said he doubted the plapple theory.

"Had the tree been bought from a nursery, then the nurseryman would have made a fortune from similar trees, rather than just propagating one," he said.

"As far as I know, plums and apples have never been grafted successfully. Genetically, a stone fruit and a pip fruit are too far apart. We need to examine these cuttings for a definite answer."

Mr Tobutt said a more likely theory was that the tree was a crapple - a crab apple grafted on to an apple rootstock.

This would occur where a broken branch would cause a new one to grow out from the rootstock.

Business consultant Miss Bowitz, aged 29, said she had used the apples to make pies, but was waiting to see if she could add plums to her autumn harvest.

"It looks like a plum, but I have not tasted one," she said. "I want to see what the research centre says. It's fascinating."