Malus sylvestris can be distinguished from malus pumila by its pink-tinted flowers, hairless leaves and smaller fruits.
Common name:
Crab apple
Family:
Scientific name:
Malus sylvestris
Main flower color:
Range:
Engalnd and Wales, lowland regions of Scotland
Height:
Up to 10 m; a small tree
Habitat:
Woodland, pathways, scrubland
Flowers:
Pink in bud, white with pinkish tints when in flower; in clusters at the leaf nodes and branch tips. Stamens have slender whitish filaments and yellow anthers, maturing to brown. Petals are strongly clawed
Fruit:
Spherical, around 2 cm in diameter, yellow or reddish, hard and generally inedible
Leaves:
Ovate with pointed tips, green, hairless above and below (when mature), somewhat shiny above, toothed
Season:
May to May
Rarity:
★★★★★
