Like their more famous relative, the Domestic Apple (Malus domestica), a descendant of a wild apple (Malus sieversii) native to Central Asia, crabapples provide beautiful (and often fragrant) white or pink blossoms and edible fruit that are popular with both humans and many species of wildlife.
Crabapples with smaller fruit attract the widest variety of wildlife, including many species of songbirds, game birds, deer, squirrels, and many other species. Some species have fruit that persists well into winter, providing an important food source for birds and other overwintering wildlife.
Be careful not to buy a barren cultivar, as some modern cultivars have been bred to produce no fruit.
Native crabapple species include Southern crabapple (Malus angustifolia), Sweet crabapple (Malus coronaria), Oregon crabapple (Malus fusca), Prairie crabapple (Malus ioensis), and their hybrids and cultivars.
A number of non-native crabapple species and cultivars also do well in North America, including the classic domestic apple, which is a popular treat for many wildlife species, including deer.
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