Habitat

• native to Europe through Western Asia
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a medium-sized deciduous tree
• 20' to 30' tall
• branches tend to be slightly pendulous
• densely branched, rounded crown
• slow growth rate
• medium texture

Summer Foliage

• simple, lobed leaves
• alternate leaf arrangement
• leaves serrated at lobe tips
• rich green leaf color
• 3" long leaves

Autumn Foliage

• not ornamentally important
• moderately showy

Flowers

• small, white flowers
• borne in corymbs
• blooms in May
• short bloom time only 7 to 10 days

Fruit

• a red pome with one seed
• ripens in September
• showy
• birds eat fruit

Bark

• stems are slender and brown
• long thorns along stems
• mature bark is "apple-like"
• zigzag stem pattern

Culture

• easy to grow
• prefers moist, fertile soil
• prune tolerant
• full sun is best

Landscape Use

• specimen tree
• screen border
• prune into hedge

Liabilities

• under used
• hard to find
• powdery mildew
• leaf spot
• thorns
• tends to have many pest problems similar to apple trees

ID Features

• long thorns along stems
• a medium-sized deciduous tree
• 20' to 30' tall
• one seed on fruit
• serrated lobe tips
• broad, rounded tree
• simple, lobed leaves

Propagation

• by cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

The species fails to perform well in most areas, thus both the species and it's cultivars are rarely offered.

'Stricta' - The most common form, this is a strictly upright plant with narrow habit. Susceptible to disease.