WILD CRABAPPLE (Malus coronaria)
Wild Crabapple is one of the heavy hitters when it comes to biodiversity. The usual suspects, deer, mice, cottontail rabbits and a few birds make use of its hard sour apples but an impressive list of more than 311 species of lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) use the leaves. Gray Hairstreak butterfly, Short-lined Chocolate, Many-dotted Balsa, Splendid Dagger, Russet-spotted, Dowdy, Bethune’s and Brown Pinions, Roadside and Footpath Sallows and Gray Quaker are a few of the imaginatively named moth species.
Wild crabapples produce beautiful blossoms in spring, ranging in color from white to pink to deep red. These fragrant flowers attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies, making them valuable for biodiversity.
