PlantsFruits & Berries
Crabapple
Malus ioensis
Zone 6a garden plant. Hardy through a Chicago winter unless the note says to pot it.
Prairie crabapple, a small native-region tree
EasyFruits & BerriesAlso TreesEdible
- Light
- Full sun
- Moisture
- Medium
- Mature size
- 15–25 ft
- Spacing
- 15–20 ft
- Bloom or harvest
- Flowers May; fruit fall
- How it spreads
- Small tree
- What to buy
- Container or balled-and-burlapped.
- When to plant
- Plant April or September.
In the design
Iowa crab is the regional species. Disease-resistant named crabs are the lower-maintenance garden version.
If you eat it
Tart fruit, usually cooked, and only from a tree you know
Don't assume every ornamental crab is good to eat. Birds get most of it.
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
