Malus, Crabapple Tree and Shrub Identification Fact Sheet

This is the tree, shrub, and vine identification project fact sheet for Malus, Crabapple. This fact sheet may not be copied in part or in whole and submitted as one's own project, but may be cited as a source of facts during one's own research. See tree, shrub, and vine identification project main page for links to other plants, and Deciduous shrubs and small trees slideshow for pictures.

MALUS

Plant Botanical Name: Malus (Malus 'prairifire')

Common Name: Crabapple

Family Name: Rosaceae

Plant is Native to What Country: Europe, Asia, and North America.

Plant Height at Maturity: 8-25 feet high and wide. Variety 'prairifire' grows 15-20 feet wide and high.

Plant Habit and Form: Small to medium deciduous tree of medium growth rate. Habit varies by cultivar from columnar, rounded, spreading or weeping. Can be multi-trunked and often suckers freely at the base.

Foliage: Leaves dark green, red to bronze on some cultivars. Leaves alternate, 1-3 inches, usually serrated but can be lobed, dentate or incised. Fall color insignificant, can be yellow, red, bronze, orange, purple, or have no fall color.

Bark: Bark gray to brown. Bark smooth and gray on young branches, becoming lightly furrowed and exfoliating with age. Can be knotty from multiple suckers or watersprouts attempting to grow.

Flower: Flowers bloom in May, and are white, pink. Buds often have a deeper pink or red color just before flowering. Flowers are very showy.

Fruit/Seed: Fruits red to purple; can be yellow on some cultivars. Fruit ¼"-1" in size. Fruit matures in fall and can persist into December.

Growing Requirements: Grows in full to partial sun, preferring a slightly acidic moist soil with good drainage. Trees tolerate a wide variation, enduring drought, poor soil, compaction, heavy pruning, wounds, and urban conditions.

Problems and Drawbacks: Susceptable to powdery mildew, cedar-apple rust, fire blight, and leaf spot. Litter can be a problem sometimes. Suckers and watersprouts need consistant pruning.

Special Uses: Used as an ornamental tree; as a specimen, street tree, focal point, foundation tree, or in the landscape. Trees can be grown under power lines.

ID Tips/Remarks: Trunks often bend and become leaning from fruit weight. Often loses most of leaves to leaf spot by end of summer on older varieties.

Bibliography: http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs/TMI/Plantlist/malus.html, Pine Ridge Gardens garden center, Wallingford CT (plant tag on tree.)