Crab Apple

Scientific Name: 
Malus sylvestris

Crab Apple is a small tree of woodland edges and hedgerows. Its pinky-white flowers appear in May and ripen to small, green apples in late summer. This fruit can be used for making jellies and wines or roasted with meat, and, as a result, this tree has been cultivated for thousands of years.

How to identify: 
Crab Apples can be easily mistaken for other varieties of apple that have been planted or have escaped. It can be distinguished by its small, finely toothed, oval leaves and small, yellow-green fruits. Orchard varieties tend to have larger fruits and pinker flowers.
Where to find it: 
Widespread.
How people can help: 

Our native tree species, such as Crab Apple, provide important links in the food chain for many animals, as well as areas for shelter and nesting. The Wildlife Trusts recognise the importance of healthy habitats to support all kinds of species throughout the food chain, so look after many nature reserves for the benefit of wildlife. You can help too: volunteer for your local Wildlife Trust and you could be involved in everything from coppicing to craft-making, stockwatching to surveying.

Statistics: 
Height: 7-9m
Conservation status: 
Common.
Did you know?: 
The Crab Apple is a close relative of the domestic apple which is descended from a Central Asian species. There are thousands of varieties of domestic apple, many of which have died out.
Seasons: 
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
When to see
Start date: 
January
End date: 
December
Image: 
Crab apple - Philip Precey