Crab apples are the often overlooked highly tart cousins of the apples we know and love. With their extreme sourness you may wonder – what kinds of animals actually relish these petite fruits? As it turns out, a diverse array of creatures find crab apples to be a delightful treat.
Birds Go Crazy for Crab Apples
Birds are by far the most common connoisseurs of crab apples. In fact, crab apple trees provide an excellent source of food for birds when other fruits are scarce, especially in winter
Some specific types of birds that enjoy feasting on crab apples include:
- Robins
- Cedar waxwings
- Cardinals
- Finches
- Grosbeaks
- Blue jays
- Woodpeckers
- Flickers
- Grouse
- Pheasants
- Quail
Crab apple trees produce an abundance of hardy fruits that cling to the branches all winter long. This gives birds a reliable food source during the lean cold-weather months when insects and other foods are limited.
The extreme tartness of crab apples does not deter birds. Their taste receptors differ from humans, so the intense sourness does not faze them.
Mammals Also Love Crab Apples
It’s not just birds that eat crab apples. Many species of mammals also take advantage of this fruit bounty
- Deer
- Foxes
- Raccoons
- Opossums
- Skunks
- Squirrels
- Chipmunks
- Bears
- Coyotes
- Rabbits
Mammals typically wait until the crab apples fall to the ground before eating them. Squirrels and chipmunks gather the fruits to store for winter. Larger mammals like deer and bears graze on fallen crab apples to fatten up before hibernation.
For most mammals, the extreme tartness of crab apples is not an issue. In fact, some even seem to prefer the sour taste.
Don’t Overlook Crawlers and Creepers
Crab apples aren’t just enjoyed by vertebrates. Many invertebrate species also feast on the fruits:
- Bees
- Wasps
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Flies
- Beetles
- Slugs
- Snails
Insects and other invertebrates are often seen gathering around rotting, fermenting crab apples on the ground. They extract nutrients from the flesh and juices.
A Vital Food Source for Wildlife
As you can see, a wide variety of creatures take advantage of the crab apple bounty. Planting crab apple trees provides food for all types of backyard wildlife.
Select trees that produce an abundance of fruit to maximize the food output. Some top choices include:
- Dolgo – This bear early and heavily with large fruits that cling through winter.
- Centennial – One of the few crab apples with extra large fruits over 2 inches wide.
- Whitney – A heavy fruiter with yellow fruits up to 1.75 inches across that persist into winter.
- Red Jewel – A prolific producer of bright red fruits that remain on the tree through winter.
- Sargent – Bears masses of tiny red fruits that birds adore. Extremely hardy.
With good care, your crab apple tree will reward you and local wildlife with a plentiful annual crop of this unique fruit.
A Cool Weather Treat
With their intense tartness, crab apples may not seem appealing to humans. But for many wildlife species, these petite fruits are a cool weather lifesaver.
The abundant crops produced by crab apple trees provide essential calories and nutrients for birds, mammals, and insects during the lean winter months. This helps sustain them through the harshest time of year.
So don’t underestimate the humble crab apple. For many creatures, it can make the difference between survival and starvation over long winters. If you want to support local wildlife, planting fruiting crab apples can have a huge impact. The trees will reward you with beauty while also feeding the diverse wildlife in your area.
Other Plants That Will Attract Birds to Your Yard in Winter
- Mountain Ash: Mountain ash will add some winter color to your yard with its orange-red berries beloved by cedar waxwings and many other birds. The berries will survive until late winter unless the birds take care of them before that.
- Winterberry: Winterberry offers red or orange berries that could last all the way to spring if the birds don’t eat them first.
- Juniper: Juniper berries are known for flavoring gin, but they’re also a food source for winter birds. The juniper itself is a hardy evergreen that will imbue your winter yard with much-needed greenery.
- Barberry: A low-maintenance, deciduous shrub, the barberry puts on a fall show of red, orange, yellow, and purple leaves. Once the leaves drop, its red berries remain for birds to feast on throughout the winter.
Pacific Crab Apple Taste Test | Unusual Foods
FAQ
What animals will eat crab apples?
The flowers provide an important source of early pollen and nectar for insects, particularly bees, and the fruit is eaten by birds, including blackbirds, thrushes and crows. Mammals, such as mice, voles, foxes and badgers, also eat crab apple fruit.
Who eats crab apples?
They are small deciduous trees that blossom in spring and provide an important and reliable early food source for honeybees, mason bees, and bumblebees.Jan 7, 2025
Do squirrels eat crab apples?
Since the Crab Apple is small and often scattered, the question arises: do squirrels eat crab apples? Interestingly, yes, They eats. These fruits are mostly found in wild areas and squirrels do not refrain from them.
Do deer eat crab apples?