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Malus ( Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607 or ) is a genus of about 32–57 species of small deciduous or in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples (sometimes known in North America as crabapples) and wild apples.
The genus is native plant to the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere.
Many apples require cross-pollination between individuals by (typically , which freely visit the flowers for both nectar and pollen); these are called self-sterile, so self-pollination is impossible, making pollinating insects essential.
A number of cultivars are self-pollinating, such as "Granny Smith" and "Golden Delicious", but are considerably fewer in number compared to their cross-pollination dependent counterparts. Several Malus species, including domestic apples, hybridize freely.
The fruit is a globose pome, varying in size from in diameter in most of the wild species, to in M. sylvestris sieversii, in M. domestica, and even larger in certain cultivated orchard apples. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged star-like, each containing one or two .
Some crabapples are used as for domestic apples to add beneficial characteristics. Apple Tree Rootstocks Ecogardening Factsheet #21, Summer 1999 For example, the rootstocks of Malus baccata varieties are used to give additional cold hardiness to the combined plants for orchards in cold northern areas. Apple Rootstocks, Alaska Department of Natural Resources
They are also used as in apple . Varieties of crabapple are selected to bloom contemporaneously with the apple variety in an orchard planting, and the crabs are planted every sixth or seventh tree, or limbs of a crab tree are grafted onto some of the apple trees. In emergencies, a bucket or drum bouquet of crabapple flowering branches is placed near the beehives as orchard pollenizers.
Because of the plentiful blossoms and small fruit, crabapples are popular for use in bonsai culture.
Other varieties are dealt with under their species names.
Some crabapple varieties are an exception to the reputation of being sour, and can be very sweet, such as the 'Chestnut' cultivar.
Crabapples are an excellent source of pectin. Using sugar and spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, their fruit juice can be made into ruby-coloured crab apple jelly with a full, spicy flavour. A small percentage of crabapples in cider makes a more interesting flavour. As Old English Wergulu, the crab apple is one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in the 10th century.
Applewood gives off a pleasant scent when burned, and smoke from an applewood fire gives an excellent flavour to smoked foods. It is easier to cut when green; dry applewood is exceedingly difficult to carve by hand. It is a good wood for cooking fires because it burns hot and slow, without producing much flame. Applewood is used to make handles of ; in the early 1900s 2,000,000 board feet of applewood were used annually for this purpose.Burks, Jeff (2015). "Woods Used in Saw Handles". Lost Art Press, Traditional Hand-tool Skills. blog.lostartpress.com.
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