Common Name: Crabapple

Scientific Name: Malus sylvestris

Family: Rosaceae

Type: Deciduous

Habitat: Deciduous Forests, Hedgerows

Native: No

Height: Up to 30 feet

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Moist, Well drained

Other: Mildly poisonous

Description: The crabapple is a deciduous, flowering tree that can be identified by its beautiful white or pink flowers in the spring and its egg-shaped, slightly serrated leaves in the summer and fall. Its scientific name, which literally means “forest apple,” comes from its yellow, green, or red “apples” that grow in fall and provide food for woodland creatures. The crabapple prefers to grow in full sun, but can tolerate partial shade. This photo of a crabapple tree was taken in the Native Grass Meadow at Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve.