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Sweet crabapple is a somewhat uncommon small tree growing across the Eastern Half of America. Ranging from Illinois to New York, south to Missouri and Virginia and in the Appalachians to Georgia and Alabama, Sweet Crabapple is most common from Central Indiana to Pennsylvania.
Sweet crabapple prefers a somewhat sunny, open spot, with some protection from the hot afternoon sun. Grassy meadows and glades are perfect habitats for Sweet Crab. The trees bloom in mid-Spring, with pleasantly fragrant, pale pink blooms. The fruit is a sour, somewhat bitter yellow apple which ripens in late Summer to early Fall.
With its fragrant blooms and abundant fruit, Sweet Crabapple is very useful in wildlife habitat gardens. Though the blooms are very pretty, the relatively large fruit makes it a bit messy for the more formal landscape.
Sweet Crabapple fruits are edible, but they are very sour - While not the most pleasant tasting to eat right off the tree, this does add the necessary complexity to hard cider blends! Sweet crabapple is somewhat susceptible to disease, though, which is why it isn't as favored as newer varieties of crabapple for cider orchards.
Sweet crabapple is very easy to grow, provided it gets a sunny spot with a reasonably moist soil. The trees will take poor, dry acidic soils, where they survive but don't really flourish.
The best spot is a bright spot on the east side of a woodland, where the sun is bright and strong in the morning but the plants are shaded in the afternoon. Because of the disease susceptibility, it is wise to provide plenty of airflow around the trees to keep the leaves dry.
We currently grow Sweet Crabapple in our Quart SuperPlugs - These fabric pots result in a well-branched, vigorous root system that establishes much more quickly than plants grown in traditional plastic nursery pots.
| Common Name: | Sweet Crabapple |
| Botanical Name: | Malus coronaria |
