Prairie Crabapple - Malus ioensis

Prairie Crabapple - Malus ioensis (Wood.) Britt. [4]
Rose Family: Rosaceae
Prairie crab apple has been cultivated since 1885, primarily for its showy and fragrant flowers. [4]
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Prairie Crabapple Blossoms May 8th, near Chicago. Ioensis refers to the state of Iowa.

Prairie Crabapple is a deciduous tree with a rounded, spreading crown growing to 30 feet tall. Leaves alternate or clustered, simple; elliptic, oblong, or oblong-ovate, 4-13 cm (1.5-5 in) long and 2-10 cm (0.8-4 in) wide; glabrous above, glabrous to densely white tomentose beneath; dark green and lustrous above, rounded or cuneate at base; acute, obtuse or rounded at apex; margins singly or doubly crenate-serrate, some leaves with deep lobes; petioles slender, white tomentose, becoming less so with age.

Flowers in clusters, pedicels pubescent, 2.5-4 cm (1-1.5 in) long, with 2-5 flowers; calyx 5-lobed, lanceolate-acuminate, densely white tomentose; petals 5, white or pink, obovate, base narrowed into a claw; styles 5, with dense white hairs; stamens numerous; flowers appear from April to June.

Fruits pomes, 2-4 cm (0.8-1.5 in) in diameter, globose, compressed at the ends, green-yellow, waxy or greasy to the touch; fruits mature September to October. [4]

Prairie Crabapple tolerates wet soil, rabbits, deer and pollution, but is not disease resistant. Grows best in full sun, and is most attractive when fed peat moss and compost.

Crabapples (Malus) are the most stunning of spring flowering trees for Midwest landscapes and are a great choice for the home garden. Many of them are small in stature and can maintain visual interest throughout the changing seasons (spring flowers, fall fruit, textured bark and craggy branches in winter).

There are about 55 different species in the genus Malus, and there are innumerable cultivars available in the landscape trade. The Arboretum's Crabapple Collection was started in 1924. Part of this collection on the West Side participated in the National Crabapple Evaluation Program which evaluated new and disease-resistant varieties. As a result of the multi-year evaluation and additions, it has transformed into the West Side Malus collection which now contains 60 different kinds and over 140 specimens with highly desirable qualities.

Some of the specimens in this collection are almost large enough to be considered shade trees, while others are quite small. There is a great variety of shape as well, from wide to upright and narrow, weeping, and multi-stemmed. There is variety in flower color, ranging from white to pink, red, purple, and crimson. Some flower buds will be one color, and then open up to a completely different color! Fruits range in size from smaller than a pea, to nearly the size of most apples; they can be red, purple, orange, yellow, or green. Some of the smaller fruits persist on the tree throughout winter, providing a splash of color in the cold months. [1]

Prairie Crabapple - Malus ioensis, Morton Arboretum acc. 277-67*2 [2] is 42 years old

Crabapples are versatile, small, ornamental trees used in the urban landscape. Crabapples bloom in spring, usually in May, bearing flowers that vary a great deal in color, size, fragrance, and visual appeal. It is common for flower buds to be red, opening to pink or white flowers. The fruit ripens between July and November, and varies in size from ¼”to 2” long or wide. Crabapples thrive in full sun and grow best in well drained, slightly acidic soils (pH 5.5-6.5); however, they will grow well in many soil types. Most crabapple selections tolerate the cold winters and hot, dry summers prevalent in the Midwest.

For many years, crabapple cultivars have been selected on the basis of their flowers, but with some cultivars, undesirable features, such as disease problems and early fruit drop, outweigh their short-lived spring beauty. No single cultivar can fulfill every landscaping need. Consider the following information when choosing a crabapple cultivar for your landscape. [3]

DISEASE
Disease resistance should be your first consideration. Many resistant cultivars are available and recommended in order to avoid the most common disease problems. Before making a selection, keep in mind that not all crabapples do well in every location. Disease intensity varies from region to region, and disease strength can vary from year to year. For instance, some crabapples will be more prone to disease susceptibility in areas with greater rainfall than in drier climates. Careful consideration of the following information will be helpful in choosing the right crabapple cultivar. There are four diseases that seriously affect crabapple:

Apple scab is one of the most serious diseases from an aesthetic standpoint, but usually not a serious threat to the health of the tree. It is a fungal disease, which develops in cool, wet springs. On susceptible crabapples, apple scab causes spotting of the leaves, premature defoliation, and unsightly spots on the fruit. There are numerous cultivars that are resistant or very tolerant (still susceptible but with little defoliation) so choose one based on its resistance.
Cedara-apple rust is a less serious leaf-spotting disease common to our native crabapple cultivars. It is usually a problem in areas where native junipers (Juniperus) are planted. Selecting resistant cultivars can control this disease.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that can cause considerable damage to leaves and fruit of susceptible cultivars without threatening the health of the tree. Poor air circulation, close association with susceptible apple cultivars, and wet, humid weather conditions will greatly influence disease incidence and severity. Fire blight is a serious bacterial disease of crabapples. Though it is less common then the others, if left untreated it can be fatal to susceptible crabapple cultivars. Select resistant cultivars. [3]

Prairie Crabapple
Distribution: Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, east to Alabama, north to Minnesota. Rare.
Habitat: moist soils along streams and woodland borders.

References

Morton Arboretum, Crabapple: A Tree For All Seasons
Prairie Crabapple - Malus ioensis, Morton Arboretum acc. 277-67*2, photographed May 8th, 2009. Photographer: Bruce J. Marlin
Morton Arboretum, Crabapples for the Home Landscape
Oklahoma Biological Survey, Malus ioensis (Wood.) Britt.

Excerpts from Morton Arboretum articles used with permission.

Pink Spires Crabapple - Malus 'Pink Spires'

Purple Prince Crabapple - Malus 'Purple Prince'

Mary Potter Crabapple - Malus 'Mary Potter'

American Masterpiece™ Crabapple - Malus 'Amaszam'

Klehm Prairie Crabapple - Malus ioensis 'Klehmii'

Christmas Holly Crabapple - Malus 'Chrishozam'

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