About the Wild Crabapple

Types and Geography

• The southern crabapple (Malus angustifolia) grows from Virginia through northern sections of Florida to as far west as eastern Texas and Arkansas. The prairie crabapple (Malus ioensis) is native to much of the Midwest, from Indiana and Illinois north to southern Minnesota and Wisconsin and south to states like Louisiana and Texas. The sweet crabapple (Malus coronaria) grows from New York and Pennsylvania south to northern Georgia and west to Missouri. The Pacific crabapple (Malus fusca) is native to the Pacific Northwest from northern California to southern Alaska.

Size

• The largest of the crabapples is the Pacific crabapple, but it is only 40 feet tall at the most. The prairie crabapple grows to 35 feet, while the sweet crabapple tops out at 30 feet. The southern crabapple also typically grows no taller than 30 feet. Trunk diameters on the largest crabapples rarely exceed 12 inches. Crabapples grow to fruition in full sunshine. Those placed in shade have a "scraggly" look to them, states the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Features

• Wild crabapples appear to have thorns growing from their limbs. However, these projections are spur-like growths on the branches and not true thorns. Crabapple foliage is green, grows in an alternate manner on the twigs and has serrations along the edges. The leaves of prairie and Pacific crabapples are longer than those of sweet and southern varieties, developing to 4 inches, compared to 2 ¼ inches. The small fruits produced by these trees are typically less than 1 ½ inches.

Importance to Wildlife

• Wildlife, especially birds, use the thickets formed by crabapple trees, building their nests in them and using them for shelter. The small apples are part of the menu of birds and mammals alike. Bobwhite quail and pheasants eat the prairie crabapple, notes the "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees: Eastern Region." Squirrels, foxes, raccoons, deer and turkey consume southern crabapples across their range. Grouse, waxwings, towhees and sapsuckers are among the bird species that include Pacific crabapples in their diet.