Features

Tree

Leaf

Blossom

Fruit

The crab apple (Malus sylvestris), also known as wild apple, is a wild form of the genus Malus and belongs to the Rosaceae family. The trunk of this deciduous tree is short, often curved and twisted. Its umbrella-shaped, broad crown consists of bulky branches, often with protruding thorns. They can also grow in a shrub-like form.

The existence of the crab apple in the Neolithic period is evidenced by artefacts, including charred apple remains in prehistoric settlements. The cultivation of wild apples began about 6000 years ago. With the opening of forests for livestock farming in the Neolithic period, the apple spread continuously in Central Europe. From the 18th century, silvopasture became less practised, leading to a decline in the population. Today, the crab apple is rare in Switzerland, and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL is dedicated to the breeding and dissemination of crab apple saplings.

The main pollinators of the crab apple are flies and bees, especially honeybees. Many wild bees are also interested in pollen. Butterflies use the leaves of the crab apple as larval food. The fruits are often lingering on the tree beyond autumn and are then an important winter food source for birds and small mammals.

Thanks to its dense branching, crab apple trees serve as a hide for many small animals. Cave breeders such as the little owl appreciate the relatively common trunk hollows and branch holes as nesting sites. Bats, in turn, use the cavities as diurnal roosts.

The wood is slightly reddish to light brown in the sapwood and reddish-brown in the heartwood. It is fine-grained, but usually grows twisted and is used by woodturners, carpenters and artisans due to its hardness. The most beautifully grained stems are steamed and cut into veneer to decorate furniture.