Why botanists changed the apple's scientific name in 2017

The "change" to Malus domestica wasn't a single event in 2017, but rather a long-term consensus to favor clarity. The name Malus domestica was actually published in 1803 by Moritz Balthasar Borkhausen. The shift away from Malus pumila (published by Philip Miller in 1768) happened over decades for several key reasons:

1. To Resolve Ambiguity: As mentioned, M. pumila was used for many different apple types, including wild species and rootstocks. Using M. domestica clearly separates the cultivated fruit from its wild relatives.
2. To Reflect Hybrid Origin: Modern genetics revealed that the domesticated apple is not a single, pure species. Its primary ancestor is the Central Asian wild apple, Malus sieversii, with significant genetic contributions from the European crabapple (Malus sylvestris) and other species. The name M. domestica better represents this complex hybrid-origin plant that was "domesticated" by humans.

Therefore, the move to Malus domestica was a correction to provide a stable, specific, and accurate name for one of the world's most important fruit crops.