Common Apple (or Crabapple)
Malus pumila · Deciduous, Broadleaf, Fruit Tree
Plant Family
Rosaceae
Tree Category
Fruit, Flowering, Ornamental
Variety / Cultivar
Indeterminate (Wild or Domestic Apple)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zones 3-8, depending on the specific cultivar.
About This Tree
Small to medium-sized tree with a rounded, spreading crown. Often develops a gnarled form with age. Features showy white to pink five-petaled flowers in spring and fleshy pomme fruits in autumn.
Leaf Characteristics
Simple, oval to elliptical shape; 2-4 inches long; serrated margins; fuzzy or downy undersides; alternate arrangement; dark green turning yellow in fall.
Bark Characteristics
Grey-brown and relatively smooth when young, becoming fissured, scaly, and plate-like with age.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Central Asia (ancestral); widely naturalized in temperate North America and Europe
Growing Season
Bud break and flowering in mid-to-late spring; fruit develops through summer; dormancy in winter; best planted in late fall or early spring.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Full sun for best fruit production; moderate water needs; prefers well-drained, loamy soil; moderate drought tolerance once established.
Mature Size
15-30 feet tall and wide; moderate growth rate; can live 50-80 years (longer for some varieties).
Special Characteristics
High ornamental value in spring; produces edible fruit; susceptible to apple scab and fire blight; cultural significance in agriculture.
Wildlife & Ecology
Provides nectar for honeybees and early season pollinators; fruit is a critical food source for birds, deer, and small mammals; provides nesting cover.