How to Grow and Care for Malus

Apple is the most widely cultivated tree fruit around the globe. The three top apple-producing countries are China, the United States, and Poland with an economic impact of $3.55 billion in 2017. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples throughout the world.

Prairie crabapple (Malus ioensis) is a flowering, colorful tree with pink blossoms native to the United States. In summer the plant's dark green leaves become purple and red. Wildlife eats the fruit of this tree.

Hall crabapple (*Malus halliana*) is a native ornamental tree in China that is often grown for beautification purposes. The fragrant blooming flowers of the hall crabapple have the distinctive smell of sweet musk. In China, this tree is often called chui si hai tang.

European crab apple (Malus sylvestris) is a plant species that can live to be one hundred years old. European crab apple is native to Europe and its latin name Malus sylvestris means forest apple. Caterpillars of the twin-spotted sphinx feed on the leaves of european crab apple. This species has been considered an important ancestor of the domestic apple.

The oregon crabapple’s small, yellowish to red fruits are elongated instead of round, making them easy to distinguish from other crabapples. It is a food source for Native American tribes; it can be used for jellying and its high acidity makes preservation easy. While the fruits are edible, other parts like the leaves and seeds may contain a toxin that can be fatal.