Crab Apple

 

Crab apple in bloom

B. Doherty 2018

Common Name              Crab Apple

Gaelic                               Crann fia-úll
Scientific Name              Malus sylvestris

Identification Tips          Pink/white apple blossom in spring

Like the wild cherry, crab apple has been deliberately grown around old farmsteads (and the fruit used for crab apple jelly) but is also a truly native species found in old woodland. Crab apple is found in hedgerows throughout the country. Unlike modern hybrid apples, crab apples grow true from the apple pips.
It is a small tree, very suitable for gardens. It bears attractive pink/white apple blossom in the spring, while the apples provide an autumn feature in the garden, as well as a useful crop