Malus spp. -- Crabapple

Native and Non-native*

Malus sp. [8]

Malus coronaria (Sweet crab, native) [1]

Malus ioensis (Prairie crab, native) [1]

Malus baccata* (Siberian Crab, non-native) [1]

Malus angustifolia (Southern crab, native to U.S., perhaps not in Michigan) [1]

Malus floribunda* (Japanese flowering crab, non-native) [1]

[4]

Malus ioensis, photo by Dan Mullen at Flickr under a
Creative Commons license

Notes:
There are native and non-native Malus, but cannot be identified to species by seed alone. Species native to Michigan include M. coronaria and M. ioensis, while non-natives established in the state include M. baccata*, M. prunifolia*, and M. pumila*. Birds also consume planted ornamental crabs, such as M. floribunda*.

Seeds present in bird fecal samples at the Rouge River Bird Observatory, Dearborn, MI.

References:

• Genus profile at USDA Plants Database (maps of established native and non-native species)
• Michigan Flora online genus key (see links above for individual species)
• University of Wisconsin-Steven Point Robert. W. Freckmann herbarium M. coronaria species profile
• Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center M. coronaria species profile
• Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Illinois M. coronaria species profile
• University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity Herbarium species profile for M. coronaria

* Listed as invasive in natural areas by the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

(Numbers in photo captions are photo credits, listed in the "Photo Credits" tab at the top of the page)