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Malus baccata

Siberian crabapple

Rosaceae Northern and central Asia

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 2–7

Overview

Malus baccata is a deciduous tree growing 20-40 feet (6-12 m) tall with a rounded, spreading crown of similar width. The alternate leaves are elliptic to ovate, 1.5-3 inches (4-8 cm) long, with finely toothed margins, turning yellow before falling. White flowers 1.2-1.5 inch (3-4 cm) across open in mid spring before or with the leaves, carried in clusters and lightly fragrant. The fruit is a small round pome 0.3-0.5 inch (8-12 mm) in diameter, red to yellow, hanging on slender stalks and persisting into winter after the leaves drop. Bark is gray-brown and develops shallow fissures with age. It tolerates cold to USDA zone 2 and is widely used as a grafting rootstock for domestic apples. The small fruit is bitter and is taken mainly by birds. Like other crabapples it is prone to apple scab, fire blight, and cedar-apple rust in humid climates, which can disfigure the foliage by midsummer.

Native Range

Malus baccata is native to northern and central Asia, from Siberia and Mongolia across northern China to the Himalaya. It grows in open woodland, forest margins, and river valleys, often in cold continental climates.

Suggested Uses

Planted as a flowering specimen and shade tree in cold-climate gardens, parks, and street settings. It serves as a pollinizer for orchard apples and as a grafting rootstock. The persistent fruit draws birds through winter.

How to Identify

Identify Malus baccata by its white spring flowers and small round fruit 0.3-0.5 inch (8-12 mm) wide on slender stalks, with the dried sepals dropping away from the ripe fruit, unlike most crabapples that retain them. The fruit hangs like beads and persists after leaf fall, reflecting the species name baccata, meaning berry-bearing. The leaves are finely toothed and become hairless at maturity.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height20' - 40'

Width/Spread20' - 40'

Reaches mature size in approximately 15 years

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

yellow

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~2 weeks

Spring

White flowers open in mid spring, generally April to May, before or just as the leaves expand, and last about one to two weeks. Bloom is heavy in most years, though flowering can be lighter in the year following a large fruit crop. The light fragrance carries on warm spring days.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

10-20 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Malus baccata in full sun in moist, well-drained loam, where flowering and fruiting are heaviest. It adapts to a wide range of soils and a pH from 5.5 to 7.5 and tolerates drought once established. Cold tolerance reaches USDA zone 2. In humid regions apple scab, fire blight, and cedar-apple rust can affect the leaves and shoots, and an open site with good air circulation reduces disease pressure. Deep watering during dry spells in the first few years supports establishment. Little routine feeding is needed in average soil.

Pruning

Pruning is done in late winter while dormant, removing crossing, dead, or diseased wood and opening the canopy. Suckers from the base and watersprouts along the limbs can be cut back each year. Heavy summer pruning can encourage fire blight entry through fresh cuts.

Pruning Schedule

winter