Crabapple, Malus various species

I enjoy seeing Crabapple blossoms, and they seem especially pretty this year. The ones I’ve pictured here beautifully complement a courtyard of Spanish architecture where I work, adding interest to the location. There is much to learn about these trees.

Crabapples are classified with roses, plums, pears, strawberries, blackberries, and hawthornes in the family Rosaceae. Apples and crabapples make up the genus Malus. As crabapples tend to be more tart than apples, one might suspect that crabapples are differentiated from apples by taste. However, apple varieties can also be tart and crabapple varieties can also be sweet. Crabapples are simply apples that are 2 inches or less in diameter. Trees are often bred for beauty and longevity of blossoms with little regard for quality of fruit, but even these may be used for jellies, preserves, and cider.

The crabapple is native to North America. Crabapples and apples were important to early settlers in the new territories, because the juice from them gave settlers something to drink when the water was so often found unsafe. They drank juice, fermented cider, and alcoholic hard apple cider. When it became possible to get a land grant in the Northwest Territory by living on the land and improving it by planting apple, peach and pear trees, nurserymen took advantage of the opportunity. They cultivated orchards ahead of the settlers to make money selling trees to the settlers. One such nurseryman named John Chapman is the source of the legend of Johnny Appleseed.

Crabapple trees have had medicinal uses, spawning phrases such as “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. One such use is of the bark in treatment of fever with vomiting. The astringent juice has been used to stop diarrhea and hemorrhoids, while stewed apples have been used as a laxative. Crabapples are said be a digestive agent, neutralizing acids produced from gout and indigestion. Containing important vitamins and minerals, crabapples are healthy to eat.

Crabapple trees typically grow 15 to 40 feet tall, and like full sun. Twigs grow thin to medium in size and brown or reddish in color. Leaves are simple and serrated or scalloped, and they are found along branches in clusters. Flowers blossom in April in the Atlanta, Georgia area, with flowering typically heavy or moderate in alternate years. The flowers have 5 petals with a floral cup on the flower called a hypanthium. Flowers may be white, pink or red, and buds may hint of other colors in the floral display. Though flowers have both male and female parts, they can not self-pollinate as they depend on insect pollinators to transport their pollen. Fruits of crabapple trees are round, fleshy and contain five carpels arranged star-like, with each carpel containing one to two seeds. Fruit is ½ to 2 inches in diameter. When it ripens in September or October it may be red, yellow, orange or green, so the best indicator of ripeness is slicing it open to see if the seed has turned brown.

Most cultivars of apple trees require cross pollination of two separate varieties for fruit to set on the tree.  It is necessary that the blossoms of the two varieties develop pollen at the same time. Crabapples are often used to cross pollinate apple trees as its pollination period easily overlaps the apple tree cultivar flowering period to produce apples. Crabapple trees may be spaced among apple trees in an orchard, or limbs of crabapple trees may be grafted onto apple trees to ensure pollination.

Crabapple trees are good landscape trees, even if some consider the fruit to be a necessary nuisance that clutters their lawns. Colorful spring blossoms and fall fruit are a pleasure to see. The fruit is great for jelly, preserves, and cider. Eating the fruit is good for health.  The wood is great for smoking meat. This is a great tree to have and enjoy.

Crabapple jelly is a treat, with biscuits or toast. Below is an ad for wild crabapple jelly, for those so interested. It can be purchased here through my participation in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Any purchase through this link helps maintain this site and is appreciated.

Author: David

I grew up near Clayton, AL and have lived over 30 years near Atlanta, GA. My interests include family, church, guitar, gardening, working with kids... and math! Life can be very interesting. My websites: chasingtrees.net mathshortcutblog.wordpress.com View all posts by David