T r e e s  o f  N o r t h  C a r o l i n a

Malus Mill. (Rosaceae)

A genus of thirty to fifty species of trees and shrubs; north temperate.

Four species occur in North Carolina, two are considered native to the state: M. angustifolia (Wild crabapple) and M. coronaria (Wild crabapple).

Key to Malus in North Carolina

1. Twigs not thorny; leaves unlobed, glabrous or pubescent below, involute or convolute in bud; [cultivated and persistent or escaping]...2.

2. Leaves glabrous or essentially so below; fruits ca. 2 cm diam...*M. prunifolia (Chinese crabapple)

2. Leaves permanently pubescent below; fruits > 5 cm diam...*M. pumila (Common apple)

1. Twigs thorny; leaves often lobed, glabrous or essentially so below, conduplicate (folded) in bud; [native, sometimes weedy]...3.

3. Leaves elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5-8 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, mostly > 2× as long as wide, subacute to obtuse at the tip...M. angustifolia (Wild crabapple)

3. Leaves ovate to ovate lanceolate, 4-10 cm long, 2-7 cm wide, mostly < 2× as long as wide, acute to acuminate at the tip...M. coronaria (Wild crabapple)