How to identify Chinese Crab Apple (Malus hupehensis)

How to identify Chinese Crab Apple (Malus hupehensis)

Chinese Crab Apple, also known as Hupeh Crab

Chinese Crab Apple is a deciduous tree with a moderate growth rate and a broadly vase-shaped, arching form. It provides light shade and is moderately drought-tolerant. While vulnerable to fire blight and sensitive to air pollution, chinese Crab Apple produces true-to-type seeds due to its triploid nature. Standing up to moderate sun and light shade conditions, it spans a picturesque silhouette. However, it is frequently subject to damage by deer. Its visual appeal makes it distinct, though care must be taken in its placement considering its susceptibility to certain environmental stresses.

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type: Shrub

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Chinese Crab Apple

Vase-shaped, arching form.

Deep pink buds unfurl into fragrant white flowers.

Fruits transition from greenish-yellow to rich red.

Leaves display purplish hue when young, turning yellow and copper in fall.

Smooth, glossy leaves with serrated margins and pinnate vein pattern.

Detailed Traits of Chinese Crab Apple

Leaf Features

The leaves of chinese Crab Apple are 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long, displaying a purplish hue when young, which transitions to a striking yellow and copper color in the fall. They are typically oval or lanceolate in shape with a smooth, glossy texture. The leaf margins are serrated with fine toothing, and the vein pattern is typically pinnate, with the main vein running down the center and smaller veins branching off towards the edges.

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Flower Features

Chinese Crab Apple produces deep pink buds that unfurl into fragrant white flowers. Each flower typically measures about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, displaying five petals in a radial arrangement. The blossoms are conspicuous for their delicate transition from pink to white, often tinged with hints of pink at the edges. They emit a pleasant, sweet fragrance and usually bloom in spring. The flowers are borne in clusters, enhancing their visual and olfactory appeal.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of chinese Crab Apple is small, with a diameter of approximately 0.4 inches (1 cm). Its coloration transitions from greenish-yellow to a rich red as it matures in the fall. Though diminutive, these fruits typically appear in abundance, creating a vibrant display. The surface texture is often smooth, and the shape is uniform, resembling miniature apples. These fruits are a notable feature for identification, particularly when observed in large clusters that festoon the branches during the harvest season.

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Chinese Crab Apple and Their Similar Plants

European crab apple vs. Chinese Crab Apple: What's The Difference?

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.

Hall crabapple vs. Chinese Crab Apple: What's The Difference?

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.

Southern Crabapple vs. Chinese Crab Apple: What's The Difference?

Southern Crabapple is a shrub popular for its root sprouts, sprawling branches, and expansive crown. It features abundant pink flowers that create a lovely, aromatic display and foliage that is emphasized by its flaky bark. Additionally, its tiny apples are edible and preferred for jams and jellies. It acts as a food source for various small mammals and pollinators when cultivated in suitable areas.

Sweet crab apple vs. Chinese Crab Apple: What's The Difference?

Leaves: Alternate, simple, ovate, 8 to 10 cm long, 4 to 5 cm broad, obtuse, subcordate or acute at base, incisely serrate, often three-lobed on vigorous shoots, acute at apex. Feather-veined, midrib and primary veins grooved above, prominent beneath. They come out of the bud involute, red bronze, tomentose and downy; when full grown are bright dark green above, paler beneath.

Apples 'Gala' vs. Chinese Crab Apple: What's The Difference?

The apples 'Gala' is one of the most popular apples in the US, beating out Red Delicious for most produced in the past fifty years. It earned the nickname "Royal Gala" due to being Queen Elizabeth's favorite when she visited New Zealand. They have variegated, mottled coloring with yellowish-orange undertones and red, striped overlay. Juicy and crisp, they are delightfully sweet.

Apples 'Red Delicious' vs. Chinese Crab Apple: What's The Difference?

Apples 'Red Delicious' is one of the most widely grown apple cultivars in the US and worldwide, known for its red color, distinct shape, and sweetness. It originated from Peru, Iowa. In 1872, a farmer named Jesse Hiatt found a rouge apple with an interesting fruit. He took the fruit to a competition at Stark Brothers’s nursery, where reportedly the owner exclaimed “My, that’s delicious,” earning apples 'Red Delicious' its name.

Apples 'Golden Delicious' vs. Chinese Crab Apple: What's The Difference?

Though definitely a man-made cultivar, the parentage of the apples 'Golden Delicious' is unknown. Its fruits have thin, pale golden skin, a gentle snap, and delightfully sweet white flesh. These apples are perfect for pies or enjoying on their own on a sunny day.

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Key Facts About Chinese Crab Apple

Attributes of Chinese Crab Apple

Lifespan

Perennial

Plant Type

Shrub

Plant Height

8 m

Spread

7 m

Leaf Color

Green

Stem Color

Green

Red

White

Pink

Leaf type

Deciduous

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Scientific Classification of Chinese Crab Apple

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Roses, elms, figs, and allies

Family

Rose

Genus

Malus

Species

Chinese Crab Apple (Malus hupehensis)

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Distribution Map of Chinese Crab Apple

Chinese Crab Apple, a plant well-adapted to temperate regions, is native to East Asia. Outside its native habitat, it has been introduced and is now found in other parts of Asia. Furthermore, the species is cultivated in various areas which favor its growth requirements.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

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A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Crab Apple How to Grow and Care for Chinese Crab Apple