The Yunnan Crabapple is a small, deciduous, flowering tree in the rose family, native to Tibet and China. It has a rounded, upright form with a moderate growth rate and can reach a mature height of 40 feet and 19 foot spread. It produces fragrant pink to white blossoms through the spring and small, 1/2 inch fruit in the fall. The fruit is somewhat harsh, but it is popular with wildlife Yunnan Crabapple does best in consistently moist, well-drained, fertile soil in full sun or partial shade. It will tolerate heavy clay and has a reputation for responding well to poor environments, which makes it useful as rootstock. The bright red fruit and the orange/red fall leaf color are considered ornamental. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Modest disease resistance. Susceptible to honey fungus. More information on Malus .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Oval; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Dentate; Lobed
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaf blade ovate, 2 to 5 inches long, usually hairy beneath. Margin doubly toothed, often with 3 to 5 lobes on each side. Leaves have an orange to scarlet fall color.
Fall color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small (1/2 inch) single white flowers with a light pink tint appear in late spring. Stamens slightly shorter than petals.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy; White
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/2 inch red fruit with white dots appear in early fall, August to September. Flesh is astringent, gritty with stone cells.
Stem color
Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Branches are dark purple and densely hairy when young.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tibet and Central China
Wildlife value
Food source for birds and small mammals.
Attracts
Small Mammals
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Seeds
Harvest time
Fall
Edibility
Seeds and leaves contain a toxin and should not be consumed. The fruit does not contain this toxin.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Woodland
Landscape theme
Edible Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Specimen; Street Tree
Garden tags
#deciduous #spring flowers #red leaves #white flowers #full sun tolerant #pink flowers #orange leaves #fall color red #fall color orange #fall interest #playground plant #wildlife friendly #flowering tree #deer browsing plant #ornamental tree #fragrant flowers #red fruits
Problems & Resistance
Particularly resistant to
Modest disease resistance
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Seeds
Poison symptoms
When consumed in excess can cause respiratory problems.