Crab apples are a tasty wild fruit that can reward foragers with free flavorful bounty. But first you have to know where to look for them. Read on to learn all about locating identifying, and harvesting crab apples.
What are Crab Apples?
Crab apples are a small, tart variety of wild apple. There are over 800 cultivars of crab apples native to North America. They typically grow no larger than two inches wide.
Unlike the sweet apples found in grocery stores, crab apples tend to have an astringent, bitter-sweet flavor. Some varieties are tarter than others. When ripe, they can be used to make jellies, hard ciders, chutneys, and more.
Crab apple trees themselves grow 15-30 feet tall on average. They have gray, scaly bark and branches that spread as wide as the tree is tall. The leaves are oval, toothy, and arranged alternately along the branches.
When and Where Do Crab Apples Grow?
Crab apples grow wild across most of the United States and into Canada. They thrive in temperate climates and prefer full sun exposure. Some ideal places to look include:
- Parks
- Trails
- Open fields
- Hedgerows
- Along fencerows
- Old orchards
- Near streams and ponds
- Woodland edges
- Abandoned homesteads
Crab apples ripen from late summer through early fall. Timing varies based on your region and seasonal weather patterns. Expect crab apples a few weeks after the first light frost, when flavor is richest. Wet summers produce the best fruit.
How to Identify Crab Apple Trees
Even without fruit, crab apple trees are easy to identify. Look for these key features and traits:
- Short, spreading shape with open canopy
- Twiggy branches with few thorns
- Alternate, simple, oval leaves with toothed margins
- Smooth, gray bark with scales
- Grows 15-30 feet tall
Once you locate potential trees, revisit them throughout late summer and fall to catch the fruit at its peak ripeness for harvesting. Ripe crab apples will be soft and easily twist free from stems.
Where to Find Crab Apples in the United States
Crab apples have a wide natural range across the Eastern and Central United States. Here are some of the best regions to search for wild crab apples:
Northeast
Crab apples are common in New England forests, fields, and hedgerows. Look in rural areas of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Mid-Atlantic
Search for crab apples in woodlands and old farms in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia.
Midwest
Abundant in old orchards and abandoned homesteads. Hotspots include Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Southeast
Found in thickets and open woods from Kentucky and Virginia down to Florida and west to Louisiana.
Central States
Look in prairie ravines and limestone glades in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the eastern Dakotas.
West
Less common but can be found in mountain canyons and riparian areas of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
How to Harvest and Use Crab Apples
Once you locate a crab apple tree filled with ripe fruit, gather your haul:
- Gently pick apples by hand, twisting to separate from stems
- Avoid bruising delicate fruits
- Place in containers gently
- Inspect for insect, disease damage
- Harvest on dry days close to use
- Only collect ripe, ready to fall fruits
You can then use crab apples to make:
- Jellies, jams, apple butter
- Chutneys, salsas, relishes
- Juices, ciders, vinegars
- Pies, muffins, crisps
- Teas, cocktail syrups
- Fruit leathers and dried apples
With their pleasantly tart taste, crab apples offer foragers an abundant source of wild fruit. Seek them out this fall and reap a tasty DIY bounty. Just be sure to leave some for the wildlife!
Not to be confused with:
Other fruit trees in the Rosaceae family when theres no fruit on the tree.
Trees woods and wildlife
Download our free Tree ID app for Android and iPhone to identify the UKs native and non-native trees. Its an A-Z tree guide in your pocket.
What does crab apple look like?
Crab apples can vary enormously. Although they are the wild ancestors of our commercial apples (a species that varies enormously in its own right), many trees you come across in the wild have grown from domestic apples that have self-seeded, and either reverted to a wild form or crossed with true crabs. The closer they are to the parents, the larger and sweeter their fruit will be.
Credit: Nature Photographers Ltd / WTML
The brown and pointed leaf buds form on short stalks and have downy hair on their tips. These are followed by glossy, oval leaves which grow to a length of 6cm and have rounded teeth.
Credit: Nature Photographers Ltd / WTML
In spring, the sweetly scented blossom is pollinated by bees and other insects. The blossom develops into small, yellow-green apple-like fruits around 2–3cm across.
Credit: Frank Hecker / Alamy Stock Photo
Sometimes the fruits are flushed with red or white spots when ripe. Birds and mammals eat the apples and disperse the seeds.
Raintree Nursery Fruit Feature: Dolgo Crabapples!
FAQ
Are there crab apples in Florida?
As a Florida native species, the Southern Crabapple is well-adapted to the local climate and supports native ecosystems.May 7, 2025
Where can crab apples grow?
Compared with common apples, crabapple trees are very hardy and easier to maintain. Crabapple tree zones range from USDA growing zone 4-9. The hardiest Crabapple tree variety we offer is the Dolgo Crabapple Tree, Malus ‘Dolgo’, and is known for its heavy fruit bearing qualities.
What time of year to pick crab apples?
Harvest and Preparation
Crab apples typically appear on the tree in summer and ripen in fall, but the best time to pick them is winter!
Where are crabapples found?
American Crabapple (Malus coronaria), also known as Wild Crabapple or Sweet Crabapple, is present throughout all of Ohio, and predominates as a spreading tree …
Where can I buy crab apples online?
Buy your favorite Crab Apples online with Instacart. Order Crab Apples from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours. How can you prepare crab apples? Most varieties of crab apples are sour, but some taste very sweet, just like domestic apples.
How long does it take to get crab apples products delivered?
Get Crab Apples products you love delivered to you in as fast as 1 hour via Instacart or choose curbside or in-store pickup. Contactless delivery and your first delivery or pickup order is free! Start shopping online now with Instacart to get your favorite products on-demand.
Where do crab apples live?
Habitats include open woodlands, woodland openings, woodland borders, savannas, and thickets. Wild Crab Apple can be found in both upland and bottomland areas where other deciduous shrubs and trees are present, particularly where there has been some disturbance to reduce the overhead canopy of dominant trees.
Why should you buy crab apples from Instacart?
With Instacart, you can help save precious time and make your life a bit less stressful. That way, you can take a break and spend some time with friends and family members. Get Crab Apples products you love delivered to you in as fast as 1 hour via Instacart or choose curbside or in-store pickup.
Are crab apples a good tree?
They make a useful spreading small shade tree and many have good autumn colour as well. Crab apples are a tough tree that cope well with a range of conditions and once established require little care or pruning.
What is a crab apple tree?
Crab Apple Trees (Malus) are valued as a spring flowering ornamental tree, and with some varieties, for the crab apple fruit that is used widely in jams and jellies as well as for apple cider. Both white and pink flowering varieties are available. They make a useful spreading small shade tree and many have good autumn colour as well.