What is the difference between apples and crabapples

I live in Toronto and have a question about apple trees. My hobby is bonsai. I have a field apple tree that I collected from a cow pasture in Peterborough to make into a bonsai. I was told that orchard apple trees are all grafted onto a strong, hardy base… and that base is most likely similar to the field apple that I have. So I was advised to graft branches from the type of apple tree that I want onto the field apple that I have and then, over time, I will have an apple tree that flowers and produces fruit like the orchard apples.

I want to try to do this so I was looking for trees where I could cut some small branches to act as scions for grafting. In my neighbourhood there are a lot of old apple trees that must have been in orchards way back. Ben Davis February 6, Where do crab apples come from? What month are crab apples ripe? What can crab apples be used for?

How do you know when a crab apple is ripe? What is the difference between crab apples and apples? Can you eat crab apples raw? How long can you store crab apples? Are crab apples poisonous to dogs? How do you store crab apples? What color are crab apples? Do deer eat crab apples? Can you buy crab apples?

Do birds eat crab apples? Can you eat crab when pregnant? Previous Article What is alienation of land in Karnataka? Next Article How do most billionaires make their money? Back To Top. Epic Gardening explains that while some varieties are edible, others are purely ornamental. You can eat the ones that grow on Dolgo crabapple trees Malus 'Dolgo,' zones 3 through 8 , as they are a sweeter variety. They work well in sauces, jellies and ciders. The Whitney flowering crab Malus pumila 'Whitney,' zones 3 through 9 is smaller, has pink and white flowers and has crabapples that you can use in pickling, canning and preserving.

Chestnut crabapple Malus 'Chestnut,' zones 3 through 8 is described as sweet and nutty and can also be used in cooking or eaten right off the tree. The semidwarf Centennial crabapple Malus 'Centennial,' zones 3 through 9 can also be picked and eaten and can be made into apple butter and jelly.

The Gardening Channel explains that crabapple trees are grown more for their beautiful flowers than they are for their fruit. Edible crabapples are usually very tart, and sugar is usually added to make them more palatable in jellies and other foods.

Still, you might wish to add some to your yard for either aesthetics or some experiments in the kitchen. These trees need full sun, but some species do well with partial shade. They do best in slightly acidic, well-draining soil.