Malus floribunda has resistance to the apple scab and founded the program to introduce this "VF gene" into cultivated apples. Their work had been progressing with great success. This crabapple species is considered as one of the best crabapples for form and flower and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Malus floribunda Malus floribunda, common name Japanese flowering crabapple, Japanese crab, purple chokeberry, or showy crabapple, originates from Japan and East Asia. It may be a wild species, or a hybrid of "M. sieboldii" x "M. baccata". "Malus floribunda" forms a round-headed, small deciduous tree with narrow leaves
Malus baccata by 4–6. Petals are white and egg-shaped, approximately 2–2.5 cm (0.8-1.0 inches) long. Fruits are red to yellow and spherical, only about 1 cm (0.4 inches) in diameter; they form dense clusters and resemble cherries from a distance. Flowering occurs in spring, with fruits appearing in September–October. The subordinate taxa include "Malus baccata" is used as ornament for its flowers and fruit. Fruits are edible and are eaten fresh or dried. As one of the tallest and most resistant to cold and pest species of its genus, "M. baccata" is used for experimental breeding and grafting of other crabapples and