Malus trilobata - Crab Apple

Malus trilobata is a species of apple tree, particularly decorative with its small yellow then red fruits that adorn the garden until early winter! It is a small tree with a regular pyramid habit, making it particularly suitable for smaller gardens and planting in rows. Its simple white flowers appear in June and attract many pollinators, while its fruits are highly appreciated by birds. Its small, dark green trilobed leaves turn yellow and bright red before falling in autumn. A vigorous and hardy species that adapts to all types of normal soil in full sun or partial shade.

Ornamental apple trees come from various botanical species of the genus Malus belonging to the rose family. Hardy, accommodating, and easy to grow, flowering apple trees can thrive in ordinary soil but prefer well-drained, deep, loose, and moist soil, as well as sunny exposures. Once established, they can withstand being neglected while maintaining their generous nature. Numerous cultivars have been developed, both in Europe and the United States, becoming increasingly attractive and disease-resistant. Malus trilobata or Three-Lobed Apple is a species native to the northeast Mediterranean. It is sometimes still classified under the name Eriolobus trilobata.

A large shrub or small tree, the three-lobed apple tree has an upright and then pyramidal habit in its youth. Over time, the crown becomes rounded, resembling the shape of a broad pyramid. At maturity, it reaches an average size of 6m (20ft) in height and 3m (10ft) in spread. It maintains a harmonious shape without needing pruning and develops a fine wood covered with a grey-brown bark.

Flowering starts in June, with numerous white buds. They open into simple flowers, 2.5 to 3.5 cm (1in) in diameter, white in colour, dotted with yellow stamens and orange-brown anthers, carried by pretty reddish pedicels. The flowers are followed by the formation of a multitude of small, round, and slightly oval, yellow then red apples, about 2 cm (1in) in diameter. Highly appreciated by birds, this fruit remains attached to the shrub until early winter. The deciduous foliage consists of trilobed leaves with lobed and dentate margins, similar in appearance to hawthorn or maple leaves. Initially dark green, they turn yellow and bright red in autumn.

Malus trilobata, like many ornamental apple trees, is a good pollinator for early-flowering fruit trees. Its flowering, although not abundant, is bright and is followed by the beauty of the foliage in autumn and the fruits. The shape adds to the charm of this remarkable plant. It will find its place in small to large gardens, in an informal hedge, accompanied, for example, by large shrubs or climbing roses trained as shrubs, evergreen Viburnums, or lilacs. When space allows, ornamental apple trees planted in a large hedge on a slope create a quite magical scene in spring and autumn with their often sumptuous colours at the end of the season.