I've never encountered an apple wand before, but an apple tree, which produces lovely flowers and bright-colored, flavorful fruit could have been seen as magical.

I have read that flowers with bright colors could be seen as magical - for example gentian, whose brilliant blue gave rise to the refrain, "Jennifer gentle and rosemarie." If so, why not fruit?

In an era where most people's food was 'daily bread' day after day, food (and flowers) with flavor and color stood out.