Excellent Food and Good Cover
Wild Crabapple – Pyrus coronaria
Southern ( Narrowleaf ) Crabapple – P. augustifolia
Form
Large 1 or 2 stemmed shrub or small tree to 30 feet tall, often forming dense thickets.
Bark and Twigs
Twigs with sharp 1inch long spines and light gray color, older bark of long reddish-brown scales.
Leaves:
Deciduous, alternate and simple.
Flowers
Pink when opening then white, very fragrant and showy, ½ to ¾ inch wide.
Fruit
Yellowish-green apple that is very bitter, 1 inch diameter, persistent over winter on the ground.
West Virginia Range
Wildlife Uses: Twigs are browsed by deer. The flowers are very good for bees and butterflies. Old fruits which persist on the ground are eaten by raccoon, quail, turkey, foxes and deer in late winter when other foods are gone. These can be the difference between life and death. The dense thickets and thorny branches provide excellent shelter and nesting sites.
Horticulture
Uses: Specimen, individual tree for flowers, clumps.
Light: Full sunlight.
Soil Moisture: Wet to dry, best in well-drained, laom soils.
Soil pH: Acid to alkaline, very adaptable.
Problems: Short lived tree 20 to 30 years of age. Is an alternate host for cedar apple rust, therefore areas with redcedar may want to be avoided. Commonly affected by apple scab and fire blight diseases, especially if not planted on good sites.
Other: The sour fruits can be used to make excellent tart jellies and preserves or for cider.
Compiled By: William N Grafton , naturalist, botanist and wildlife specialist West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Written by West Virginia Native Plant Society members and jointly published with the WV Wildlife Diversity Program