Sweet Crabapple (Malus coronaria) offers year-round appeal with fragrant spring blooms and a distinctive winter silhouette. It supports wildlife by attracting pollinators, serving as a host plant for Lepidoptera, and providing food for birds, turkeys, rabbits, and deer with its persistent fruit.
This species is a native North American deciduous tree with a crooked trunk and a wide-spreading crown. In late spring or early summer, it showcases clusters of fragrant white flowers tinged with rose, followed by small greenish-yellow fruits favored by birds, its main identification features. This tree's bark is reddish gray-brown and textured with scales. It's known for its bushy appearance with contorted branches, often resembling a bonsai tree. The fruit, although bitter, is used for preserves, cider, pies, and more, making it a valuable part of the landscape. Make sure your animals don't eat leaves, stems, or seeds in the fruit since those contain cyanide.
