''Malus florentina'' is a species of

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

known by the common names Florentine crabapple and hawthorn-leaf crabapple. It is native to the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, and it is grown elsewhere as an

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

Description

Apple - Malus florentina - Florentine crabapple - hawthorn-leaf crabapple - Italienischer Zierapfel

The tree is

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

, upright and vase shaped,Backyard Gardener
/ref> growing up to . It is cold

hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

to UK

zone Zone or The Zone may refer to: Places Climate and altitude zones * Death zone (originally the lethal zone), altitudes above a certain point where the amount of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life for an extended time span * Frigid zone, ...

4 and the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

's zones 4–8, and is not frost tender. It blossoms in June, and the seeds ripen from October to November.Plants for a Future
/ref> Flowers appear in corymbs. The fruit is oval, measuring about . It ripens in mid autumn and usually blets on the tree.

Etymology

The

botanical name A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the '' International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants'' (ICN) and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar or Group epithets must conform to the ''Intern ...

''florentina'' and

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

''florentine'' refer to the municipality of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, which has a major history of botanical collection in their famous Renaissance gardens. The other common name ''hawthorn-leaf'' refers to its distinct toothed leaf shape, which closely resembles that of a

hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

and is unusual for a

crabapple ''Malus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 30–55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples, wild apples, and rainberries. The genus is native plant, native to the temper ...

Toxicity

The seeds of all crabapples contain

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

, which can be toxic if consumed in large quantities.

Uses

The fruit be eaten raw or cooked. When bletted, it has a mealy texture with a soft acid flesh, is refreshing in small quantities. The species is suitable for cultivating in all kind of soils, with all levels of pH, but prefers moist or wet soil that is well drained. It prefers full sun but can also manage when semi-shaded.

References

External links

SCHEDA BOTANICA / PLANT PROFILE: Malus florentina (Zuccagni) C. K. Schneid.
{{Taxonbar , from=Q2842189 florentina Crabapples Flora of Southeastern Europe