Southern Crab Apple (Malus angustifolia) Southern Crab is indigenous to the southeastern states and one of a very few species of apples that are actually native to North America. Much like many of our native plums, our native crabs are in decline due to ever-changing landscapes and practices. They were more common back when we had more old- field/grassland type habitats that were set back with fire from time to time, as they don’t compete well at all in the “big woods” where they can’t get enough sunlight. Southern Crab puts on a show of pinkish white blooms every spring, and pollinators use both the blooms and the foliage, which serve to pollinate the flowers and increase populations of good insects (think bird food) in the surrounding landscape. Although they can grow to 20-30 feet in height in an orchard setting, when planting them on more upland sites where they naturally occur, they can remain fairly compact. The clumpy plants serve as great cover for everything from rabbits, quail, and turkey poults, to making a nice spot for a deer to lay down under. The fruits go from green to blushed, and often ripen to a 1.5” diameter with a nice pinkish color. And while they are too astringent to eat out of hand, they make a fantastic jelly or wine, and deer and other critters readily gobble them up. Southern Crab Apple Planting Tips Plant these out in the open, on more upland type sites, as most apples prefer to be up and out of the humidity and can be more prone to foliar diseases down in the bottoms. Like most apples, Southern Crabs are not resistant to Cedar-Apple rust, but they seem to tolerate it well once established on an appropriate site. Zone: 6 - 9 Soil pH: 5.8 - 7.2 Wildlife Value: Excellent | Deer, Turkey, Fox Squirrel, Bear, insects/pollinators Site Preference: Full sun Fruit Maturity Date: Late Summer, Early Fall Fruit: Pale green blushed yellow Southern Crab Apple Zone Map
