Wild Crabapple, Common Crab Apple

I guess this is the one my mother had. I don't think it ever fruited, or if it did, we didn't eat any. But the blooms were beautiful....Read More The tree was a showpiece, and people used to drive by to look at it. I don't think it is long-lived though.

My dog ADORES eating them- he grabs one each time he goes outside. Unfortinately, if he eats more than one a day he pukes. The fruit turn...Read Mores brown quite quickly upon puncture or cutting.
And they are an annoyance because they make the ground uneven when rotting. The tree is quite large, so we get a LOT of them.
I will say the blooms are very pleasantly fragrant!

A deciduous tree native to Europe except the most northerly regions.

Has smooth, ovate, mid-deep green leaves borne on oft...Read Moreen twisted and sometimes thorny branches. Bears white blushed pale pink, lightly scented flowers which are followed by small, green blushed red fruit.

Flowers April-Late May

Loves constantly moist but well-drained, slightly fertile soil in full sun or light shade. It's natural habitat is deciduous woods or hedgerows. They need a fairly cool climate to grow well.

A great nectar plant for bees.

The fruit is sour and doesn't have a pleasant taste. They do make excellent jam and (I'm told) wine. I don't suggest eating them raw because they can cause indigestion if eaten in quantity, which is curious considering the following paragraph.

Medicinally it was once used as a diuretic, astringent and a treatment for various mild digestion problems. It is still used in some digestive preparations today especially in those designed for children.

The Crab Apple is also one of the common ancestors of the Malus x domestica - Apple tree (of various cultivars).