54 



ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY CIRCULAR 51 



Fig. 54. — The small, low-growing crabapple is used extensively in orna- 

 mental plantings. The various species and horticultural varieties have flow- 

 ers ranging from white through pink to red. Inset shows a sharply toothed 

 leaf. 



is used widely as a decorative tree because of the showy appear- 

 ance of its large, double, rosy-pink blossoms. Several introduced 

 and naturalized species and horticultural varieties, especially of 

 Asiatic origin, are grown for their decorative value. They have 

 flowers ranging from white through pink to red, and fruits rang- 

 ing from yellow through orange and red to purple. Some varieties 

 have red to purple foliage. 



Crabapples are small trees with a branch spread of 20-30 

 feet and reach a height of 20-30 feet. They are useful for speci- 

 men trees and border plantings, and are suitable for plantings 

 around one-story buildings. They are relatively resistant to injury 

 from ice and wind. Asiatic species are relatively free from at- 

 tack by diseases and insect pests, and are preferred for orna- 

 mental purposes because the native crabapples may be severely 

 damaged by several diseases and insect pests. The more detruc- 

 tive diseases are the rusts, fire blight, and scab. Insects which 

 may severely damage crabapples include the yellow-necked cater- 

 pillar, hawthorn leaf miner, wooly hawthorn aphid, and San 

 Jose scale. European red mites frequently damage crabapples. 

 The wood of crabapples is of little commercial value. 



