Many people wonder if crab apple fruit is poisonous, but crab apple trees make a beautiful ornamental addition to your landscape.
It can be challenging to determine whether or not crab apples from a specific variety are edible, as there are nearly a thousand different varieties of crab apple trees.
I put together this guide to answer frequently asked questions about crab apples, including whether they are safe to eat by dogs and if they are edible.
To help you choose the right crab apple variety for your home’s landscaping, I will provide you with pertinent details about crab apples and the trees that grow them.
Is crab apple edible?
Generally, crab apple fruit flesh can be eaten.
The crabapple tree is closely related to the apple tree, but its fruit is much smaller.
Jams and desserts can be made from some crabapple varieties that have a sweeter taste. Different tree varieties produce fruits of different sizes and colors.
Flavor
There are some crabapple varieties that are so extremely tart that most people don’t consider them edible.
It is common to cook crab apples with lots of sugar to bring out the apple essence and offset the tart or bitter taste.
Recipes for crabapple jelly, pies, pickles, and chutney can be found online easily.
Types Of Crab Apples
Edible crab apples and ornamental crab apples are two types of crab apples.
In spite of crabapple trees producing fruit in a wide range of colors, sizes, textures, and flavors, the type of crab apple you should eat determines its type.
Edible Crabapple Type
It is possible to make edible treats from some crab apple fruits.
Here are the top crabapple varieties with edible fruit:
- Centennial crab apple
- Chestnut crab apple
- Dolgo/Dalgo crab apple
- Pink Spires crab apple
- Hopa crab apple
- Red Vein crab apple
Consider planting or buying any of the above varieties if you want a crabapple tree with tasty edible fruit for making preserves or desserts.
When asking about crabapple tree fruit, be specific. Although crab apples are edible, spending money and effort to plant a tree could leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.
If you plan to cook up your crabapple crop, ask about sweetness, flesh texture, and flavor notes.
Make sure you purchase fruit that is tasty when you cook it if the seller cannot answer these questions.
Ornamental Crab Apple Type
Ornamental crab apples are the second type. Many dwarf trees can be incorporated into a homeowner’s landscape design despite their average height.
It has a very small fruit with a hard texture and a high tannin content. You won’t be able to prepare jams or jellies from the fruit due to its bitter or tart taste.
Color and shape of these trees are quite stunning, despite the fact that the fruit is unworthy of eating.
As the crab apple tree matures, you will enjoy several more weeks of color after enjoying the abundant blooms in late spring.
These are some of the most popular varieties of ornamental crabapples:
- Malus or “Camelot” crab apple
- Firebird crab apple
- Royal Raindrops crab apple
- Sparkling Sprite crab apple
- Red Jewel crab apple
- Sargent Tina dwarf crab apple
A few crabapple trees have been bred to produce no fruit at all, such as “Prairie Rose” and “Spring Snow.” However, most ornamental trees produce fruit that remains on the tree much longer than sweet varieties.
Pet owners, especially dog owners, need to be aware of the potential dangers of crab apples.
Here’s what you need to know about crab apples, plus answers to common questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Dogs Eat Crab Apples?
Crab apples should never be eaten by dogs! The reasons are as follows:
Just like full-size apples, crab apples contain the chemical cyanogenic glycosides in their stems, seeds, and leaves. Dogs of all ages are poisoned by cyanide, which is known as a poisonous chemical.
What dog do you know will peel, deseed, and core a crabapple they find on the ground? It’s not dangerous, but who would peel, deseed, and core a crabapple they find on the ground?
Crab apple poisoning is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Panting
- Dilated pupils
- Red lips, gums, or tongue
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- A decrease in heart rate and oxygen levels
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
During autumn, crab apple trees contain high levels of this toxin in their leaves and fruit, so be especially vigilant in picking up fallen debris if your dog has access to the tree.
Do Deer Eat Crab Apples?
Crabapples are a favorite food of deer, and they show no negative reactions to eating them.
The deer will prefer the juicier, sweeter varieties of crabapple fruit, saving the less desirable types until they run out of other food sources.
Planting a couple of different crab apple varieties can therefore attract wildlife such as deer to your yard.
In the early stage of the season, sweet-fruiting varieties will provide deer with food, while bitter-fruiting varieties will attract them later in the season when other sources of food are scarce.
What Do Crab Apples Look Like?
It is the size of crabapples that distinguishes them from mini apples.
The two apples belong to the same genus, Malus. It is a crab apple when it has a diameter less than two inches at maturity. When the fruit reaches that dimension, it becomes a standard apple.
As small as 1/4 inch in diameter, crab apples can reach as large as two inches. There are some fruits that have an elongated shape, like plums.
There are many different colors of crabapple fruit, including bright red, yellow, orange-red, crimson, yellow-green, and reddish-purple. It is possible to have a shiny or dull appearance to the outer skin.
What Does A Crabapple Tree Look Like?
The crabapple tree is challenging to describe because each variety reaches a different height and spread, displays a different bloom color, and produces different fruit and leaves. Colors of trunks may vary.
I can narrow down general characteristics of crabapple trees from an overview.
Height
Although crabapples can reach 30 feet tall, most fall between 15 and 20 feet, making them perfect for yards because of their privacy and non-interference with power lines. There are dwarf varieties that grow up to eight feet tall and make a beautiful focal point in the landscape.
Foliage
The leaves have serrated edges and come to a point. As the season progresses, the color darkens from light green to dark green. Depending on the variety, the leaves turn yellow/orange or red/purple as the weather cools.
Clusters of leaves (and fruit) grow on the plant. Rather than being directly across from one another, the leaves form an off-set pattern down the branch.
Blooms
Clusters of white, light to dark pink, or purple flowers form in dense bunches.
Fruit
Fruit hangs from the tree on long stems, looking more like cherries than apples. It has a diameter of less than two inches.
Trunk and branches
A crabapple tree has a round shape because it grows wide, dense branches that stretch up from a thin trunk.
In mature trees, the outer bark becomes mottled in color and texture.
In Summary
When cooked correctly, crab apples can be consumed by humans without harming dogs.
You can make delicious jams, butters, and other treats from crab apples if you select the sweetest varieties.
In addition to attracting birds and other wildlife, crabapples also provide nutritious fruit.
During all seasons, this plant adds tremendous visual appeal to your landscape with its vibrant foliage and stunning blooms.
Let this crabapple guide inspire you to try crabapple recipes and maybe plant a crab apple tree or two!