# Help settle a bet-crabapple or apple



## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

DH and I are debating what these are. I think they are large crabapples. He thinks they are small apples. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## primal1 (Aug 22, 2003)

i've only ever seen one large crab apple tree so no help from me but i am curious about what others will say


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## CJofWolfcreek (Jan 25, 2013)

My crabapple has rich purple blossoms while my apple has white blossoms. The apple tree has produced small apples like that, usually in very dry conditions. A sprinkler set near the tree plumped them right up. Turning red already?! Take a bite of one of the redder ones, really bitter would most likely be crabapple.

Late bloom here this year so ours arent even close to that size yet. Reminds me to keep an eye out for my cherry tree. The birds strip it clean if I don't notice they're ripening.


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## DarleneJ (Jan 29, 2012)

Those are about the size of my apples at present. My crabapples are about the size of my pinkie tip and are much more prolific on the tree.

I don't know how big the larger variety of crabapples can grow.

If there are a good deal of windfall apples on the ground underneath the tree I would say it was an apple. Crabapples don't lose their fruit quite like that.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

DarleneJ said:


> Those are about the size of my apples at present. My crabapples are about the size of my pinkie tip and are much more prolific on the tree.
> 
> I don't know how big the larger variety of crabapples can grow.
> 
> If there are a good deal of windfall apples on the ground underneath the tree I would say it was an apple. Crabapples don't lose their fruit quite like that.



There are quite a few on the ground. They flowered white which is what made DH think they were apples. The starting to turn red part is what is throwing me. I've never grown apples before but I always thought that they grew to size first and then turned red. I'm really hoping that DH is right.


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## DarleneJ (Jan 29, 2012)

SLFarmMI said:


> There are quite a few on the ground. They flowered white which is what made DH think they were apples. The starting to turn red part is what is throwing me. I've never grown apples before but I always thought that they grew to size first and then turned red. I'm really hoping that DH is right.


I have a crabapple that blooms white at the same time as my apples.

Our apples have a bit of blush on them like yours. If you look toward the more shaded interior of the tree they will probably be mostly green.

I think you have an apple tree. Enjoy!


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## forphase1 (Aug 5, 2010)

I have a tree that looks exactly like that too. I thought it was a crabapple tree, but I'm glad to see that maybe I was wrong!


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I've never seen crabapples that large.. 

Bite into one... an apple at that stage should be tart... a crabapple will be more sour..You'll be able to tell...


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## Quercus21 (Nov 25, 2009)

I have to agree with simi-steading, I never seen crab apples that big. Either way, you can still use them if they are.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I think there is some confusion in terms here. There are a number of "crab" apples that are regular eating apples. Then there is the "flowering crab" which is purely decorative and produces small unpalatable fruit. All are apples, just different varieties.


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## jkhs (Sep 17, 2010)

There's a crabapple tree at my DD's high school that has golf ball sized apples that look like that. The fruits are really sweet and make really great applesauce.


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

We have a dozen types of crab apple trees here without counting the blooming type sold for spring flowers like blooming pear trees too. I will say there are a couple types that are fairly large canopy trees but the base of the crab apple doesn't get as large around as the regular apple tree, full size apple tree I mean not counting any similar-dwarf or dwarf varieties. The full size apple tree of all varieties I have seen get much larger than any crab variety. The crab tree is the tree used to graft roots onto the similar dwarf and dwarf. The super small crab apple trees roots are used on the dwarf and the larger crab apple tree roots are used to create the similar-dwarf, trees both apple and peair trees. We do have crab apples larger than golf balls, and crab apples the size of peas, sour green, red, blushed, on and on? Deer love em! And worms, and bees, and jelly, and? Pie,and? Best wishes ray


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