Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Malus fusca

Pacific Crabapple

At a Glance: Small tree, slender in form, appears thorny; bushy in the open.

Height: 16.5-40 feet (5-12 meters).
Growth Form: Tree or shrub.
Stems: Twigs and branches appear to have thorns, but these are actually spurs, on which flowers and fruits are produced. Young twigs covered with tiny white or gray hairs. Older bark deeply fissured.
Leaves: Simple, lance-shaped to oval-oblong; 4-10 cm (1.5-4 in) long; edges saw-toothed and slightly curled, edges often lobed near tip; leaves vary from unlobed to weakly or strongly lobed; alternate; color: light green.
Flowers: fragrant white to pink apple blossoms in small clusters; pretty in bloom, but small; size: 9-14 mm long; shape: petals oblong-oval to obovate.
Flowering Period: April, May.
Fruits: In clusters; crisp, sour, and juicy; shape: egg-shaped pommes; size: 10-16 mm long; color: polished yellow to purplish-red.


Photo © Heidi Bohan

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (facultative upland)	Up to 2500 ft in Cascades. low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Wetland habitats.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: Fruit remaining on trees in winter is a preferred food of purple finches. Also evening grosbeaks, towhees, sapsuckers, woodpeckers, waxwings and grouse. Cavity nesting birds and other wildlife may nest and roost in tree cavities of large trees. Insects: Spring azure butterfly. Mammals: Favorite food of deer, elk and bears. Also coyotes, foxes.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: Wood is very compact and fine grained. Sometimes used in small ornamental turnery because of toughness and brownish hue of wood.
Medicinal Uses: Bark was used, alone or with other plant products, for a variety of medicinal treatments for the eyes and for the stomach and digestive tract.
Food Uses: Fruits important food for virtually all coastal peoples. Eaten fresh or stored under water and oil, in cedarwood storage boxes.
Toxicity: Bark contains cyanide-producing compounds..

Landscape Uses: Plant near waterways, wetlands, or other moist sites. Very salt-tolerant.

Suggested References

Brockman, F.C. 1968. A Guide to Field Identification: Trees of North America. Western Publishing Company. Page .
Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 180.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 962.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 222.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 80.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 248.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 89.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 48.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.