Crabs

Malus species

Rose family (Rosaceae)

Origin: Europe, North America

Description: Trees up to 15m high. Twigs hairy when young. Leaves obong to oval and pointed with toothed margins, downy on the underside when young but becoming hairless. Flowers fragrant and appearing with the leaves, white, pale pink, deep pink or purplish, with 4 to 5 styles. Ripe fruit 0.5-3cm, bright yellow, bright red or purplish. In some species the withered sepals persist at the apex, in others the sepals fall early so the ripe fruit is smooth and cherry-like.

Comments: Often known as crab apples. The description here is for ornamental flowering crabs, not the wild crab apple.