Malus coronaria Malus coronaria Malus coronaria, also known by the names sweet crabapple or garland crab, is a North American species of "Malus" (crabapple). It grows primarily in the Great Lakes Region and in the Ohio Valley, with outlying populations as far away as Alabama, eastern Kansas, Long Island, and Ontario. "Malus coronaria" often is a bushy shrub with rigid, contorted branches, but frequently becomes a small tree up to 10 meters (33 feet) tall, with a broad open crown. It prefers rich moist soil. Its flowering time is about two weeks later than that of the domestic apple, and its fragrant
Malus are borne in corymbs, and have five petals, which may be white, pink or red, and are perfect, with usually red stamens that produce copious pollen, and a half-inferior ovary; flowering occurs in the spring after 50–80 growing degree days (varying greatly according to subspecies and cultivar). Apples require cross-pollination between individuals by insects (typically bees, which freely visit the flowers for both nectar and pollen); all are self-sterile, and (with the exception of a few specially developed cultivars) self-pollination is impossible, making pollinating insects essential. Several "Malus" species, including domestic apples, hybridize freely. They are used as food plants