CRAB APPLE (Malus sylvestris)

Commonly known as the Flowering Crab Apple, this tree can grow from 6 to 40 feet, usual height 15-15 feet. It has a spread of up to 20 feet, and is a moderate to fast grower.

The leaves are pointed ovals and can vary from medium green to nearly purple. They are often fuzzy.

Flowers are single, double or semi-double, light pink, or white with a faint tinge of pink. They bloom in the spring and often have a musky, sweet scent.

The round fruits are half an inch in diameter and are orange, yellow or red. They appear in midsummer and ripen until the autumn, being fully ripe in October. They hang on after the leaves have dropped.

The bark is pale brown or grey and smooth on young trees. On older trees it is grey brown to mid brown and is often flaky, cracked or scaly. The wild crab apple has thorns.