Crab Apple
Malus sylvestris
Also known as
Wild Apple, European Apple, Blomappel, Wildeappel (Afr.), Apple Tree, European crab apple
Malus sylvestris Wild Crab მაჟალო (2) by Lazaregagnidze (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Full Sun
Easy care
Moderate watering
Frost Hardy
7a
USDA zone
-18°C
Minimum temperature
Expected size
Height | Spread | |
|---|---|---|
12m | Max | 8m |
3m | Min | 2m |
Fruiting
-
spring
-
summer
-
autumn
-
winter
Some crabapple fruit are red when ripe while others are yellowish-orange. The easiest way to tell if fruit are ripe is to cut them in half to see if the seeds are brown, which means they are ready to be picked.
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Crab Apple Overview
Malus sylvestris is commonly known by the names Crab Apple, Wild Apple, European Apple or Apple Tree. Crab Apple are small, rounded, deciduous trees that bloom prolifically during spring, have decorative edible fruit and often attractive autumn foliage. Leaves are oval and the flowers white tinged with pink. The blooms measure around 5cm across, appearing from late spring. The flowers lead onto green-yellow fruits measuring up to 3cm across, sometimes flushed with red. They are often grown as cross-pollinators in commercial orchards. Crab Apples make good ornamental trees because of their decorative fruit, pretty flowers and occasional autumn colour.
Common problems with Crab Apple
Crabapples suffer from aphids, apple canker, apple scab, blossom wilt, caterpillars, fireblight, powdery mildews, spider mite, honey fungus, and woolly aphid. Also look out for snout beetles, codling moth, fruit fly and fusi.
How to propagate Crab Apple
Cuttings
Cuttings for grafting should be done in midwinter when trees are in rest or bud in early autumn to allow to grow into the rootstock over winter.
Seed
Sow seed in a seedbed 1-2 cm deep in autumn, 3-6 cm apart or keep seeds in fridge for 3 months for stratification and plant in Spring. Graft or bud desired cultivar on seedling.
Budding
You can propagate by budding in late summer.
Grafting
Grafting in mid-winter.
Special features of Crab Apple
Autumn colour
The trees often have attractive autumn leaves
Attractive flowers
Attractive fruits
Attractive leaves
Attracts bees
Attracts butterflies
Attracts useful insects
Other uses of Crab Apple
Culinary
Edible
The fruits are edible raw and can be made into jelly, preserves, and cider.
Plants to Encourage Birds in Your Garden
Include any of these plants into your garden to provide shelter and food for birds.
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Multi Stemmed Trees
With a little formative work these trees can be trained into multi- stemmed specimens.
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