North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>]

At 11:29 AM 2/3/2007, Derry wrote:
> Midwest is also known as Malus ioensis, Iowa crabapple, Prairie
> Crabapple. It looks like it's a 'class' of crabapple highly susceptible
> to scab and cedar-apple rust, unique group, double flowering, strongly
> fragrant, late bloomers ... no mention of fruit or size of fruit.
All the native crabs, like M.ioensis, M.coronaria, M.angustifolia, 
etc. that I've had dealings with, including 'Bechtel', which is, if I 
recall correctly, a named selection of M.ioensis, have small - 1" to 
1/5" green, hard, sour/astringent fruits - usually heavily festooned 
with sooty blotch and flyspeck.  My dad loved to eat them, but most 
folks would find them not to their liking, and probably wouldn't even 
classify them as edible.  I've got one selection that my dad came 
across which may be a hybrid with domestic apple - fruits are quite a 
bit larger - 2-2.5", but still hard, green, sour/astringent.
I've seen those hard, green, little crabapples lie on the ground 
throughout a Southeastern US winter - if the deer didn't get to them 
first - and still be just as good(or, maybe, better!) than they were 
when they dropped.
They are lovely in bloom, and quite fragrant - but most are 
exquisitely susceptible to scab and cedar apple rust.

Lucky