Virginia Tech Dendrology

plumleaf crab apple Rosaceae Malus prunifolia (Willd.) Borkh. symbol: MAPR
Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical to narrowly ovate, 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches, pinnately veined, finely serrated; green above, paler and slightly pubescent below.
Flower: Perfect, showy, pink to white in color, to 1 inch across, with 5 petals for each flower, displayed in few-flowered clusters; appear in early spring; fragrant.
Fruit: A yellow to red pome to 1 inch in diameter; edible but mealy and astringent; ripening in early fall.
Twig: Moderate to slender, initially green and pubescent, red-brown to gray and mostly glabrous at maturity; buds reddish-brown; spur shoots prominent and often thorn-like.
Bark: Initially smooth and red-brown to gray, later thin and irregulary scaly with flat ridges.
Form: A large shrub to small tree reaching 30 feet with an irregular crown, twisted trunk, and low branching; spur shoots are prominent and may be thorn-like.
Looks like: southern crab apple - apple - hawthorn

Additional Range Information: Malus prunifolia is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information