''Malus angustifolia'', or southern crabapple, is a species of

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 to the temperate zone o ...

native to the eastern and south-central United States.

Description

''M. angustifolia'' is a tree sometimes attaining a height of 10 meters (33 feet). The trunk can have a diameter up to . The flowers are pink, with a pleasant scent. The fruits are up to in diameter, and have an aromatic scent and a pear-like shape.

Taxonomy

The following two

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

are known: * ''Malus angustifolia'' var. ''angustifolia'' * ''Malus angustifolia'' var. ''puberula'' (Rehder) Rehder

Distribution and habitat

The species can be found from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

west to eastern

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

and north to

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

and

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

Ecology

The fruits are eaten by various wildlife.

Uses

Although the fruits are

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian pla ...

, acidic, and unpalatable when raw, they can be used to make jellies, jams, and food preserves.Flora of North America, ''Malus angustifolia'' (Aiton) Michaux, 1803. Southern or narrow-leaved crabapple
/ref>''Malus angustifolia''
at

Plants for a Future Plants For A Future (PFAF) is an online not for profit resource for those interested in edible and useful plants, with a focus on temperate regions. The organization's emphasis is on perennial plants, named after the phrase "plans for a future" as ...

The tree is grown as an

ornamental plant 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 ...

References

External links

Carolina Nature

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas

Leafsnap.com: Images of the Southern Crabapple ''(Malus angustifolia)''
angustifolia Crabapples Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the North-Central United States Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of Texas Fruits originating in North America Trees of Northern America Plants described in 1789 {{malus-stub