The region is thought to be the ancestral home of the apple . A local species of apple , the wild Malus sieversii , may be the ancestor of the modern domestic apple . In fact , there is great genetic diversity among the wild apples in the region surrounding Almaty ; the region is thought to be the ancestral home of the apple , and the wild Malus sieversii is considered a likely candidate for the ancestor of the modern domestic apple .