Scientific Name:
Malus sylvestris
Pronunciation:
MAY-lus sil-VESS-triss
Common Name:
European crabapple
Family Name:
Rosaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, ovate, serrated, mostly <10cm long; flowers in clusters, buds often red, petals white or pink-tinged, 4-5cm wide in May; pomes yellow-green, sometimes red-flushed (or solid red cultivars), 2-3cm wide. Winter ID: bark dark grey, smooth to scaly; twigs and buds pubescent.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Oval - vertical, Round
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
7 - 10m
Mature Spread:
5 - 7m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe (Japan)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract birds, Espalier, Fragrance, Urban agriculture, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Green, Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Bronze
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Serrate
Additional Info:
sometimes slightly lobed; pubescence may not be obvious
Inflorescence Type:
Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Perigynous
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Pink (deep pink in bud then flowers pale pink but some cv. more pink or all white)
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
May
Fruit Type:
Edible, Pome
Fruit Colour:
Yellow, Green, Red
Fruiting Time:
Sep
Additional Info:
Showy, Accessory tissue, Edible,
Bark or Stem Colour:
Dark Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Propagation:
Seed, Grafting
Pest Susceptibility:
Blight or needle cast, Canker or sap rot, Caterpillar or cutworm, Fungal leaf spot, Mistletoe, Mites, Rodents, Rust, Scale insects
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- not used (on campus)
Location(s):
- (FSC) Far South Campus : next to M. fusca - mid boardwalk
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLN) Turf Field Lab North : confirm ID