Malus sylvestris, the European crab apple, is a species of the genus Malus, native to Europe. Its scientific name means “forest apple” and the truly wild tree has thorns.
Description
Wild apple has an expanded crown and often appears more like a bush than a tree. It can live 80–100 years and grow up to 10 m tall with trunk diameters of 23–45 cm. Due to its weak competitiveness and high light requirement, wild apple is found mostly at the wet edge of forests, in farmland hedges or on very extreme, marginal sites. The tree is rather rare but native to most European countries. It occurs in a scattered distribution pattern as single individuals or in small groups.[2]