Have you planted native crabapples for pollinators and wildlife? Let us know about it in the comment! Also, if you would like to learn about another great native fruit tree, the American persimmon, check out this video: czcams.com/video/sSNg-b-v7Ek/video.html
We have started a wildlife preserve near Hearts Content, PA, in the midst of the Allegheny National Forest. The deer have browsed everything in the National Forest to the ground. Exceptions are invasive barberry, multiflora rose, knotweed, and Russian Autumn olive, mainly along rivers and creek bottoms. We have planted native crabapples (in addition to cultivars for people eating), along with a wide variety of other nut and fruit producers to help wildlife through our long cold winters with deep snow. After several years of trying to re-establish native plants with various plastic / chicken wire cages, which the deer just smash or tear up off the plants, we have settled on 4’ welded wire (12.5 ga) fence, 3-4 ft in diameter, secured with 1 or 2 rebar and long landscape staples. This permits our trees and shrubs to reach maturity before deer begin to browse and the plants can start to produce fruit. We use 6’ welded wire in a 6’ diameter for our orchard fruit trees, secured to four 8 ft tposts pounded in at least 18”- one side opens for pruning or harvesting. I have found that clear fishing line at several levels secured with rebar will protect more mature trees from browsing / antler rubbing. But do not mark it - if they see what they are brushing into, they will eat around it. Make sure you show your hubby, though. It doesn’t go well if he gets the tractor “hung up” 🫣
Good tips! I always tell people not to skimp on the cage material or the deer will get through it or destroy it. Around here you have to put some smaller fencing around the base of the cage (chicken wire or garden wire) or the rabbits will strip the bark off of saplings when it snows.
By all means plant some native crabapples if you want too but all apples are great for wildlife. The genus malus hybridizes very liberally and all species are quite closely related. As far as crabapples go I'm a big fan of the variety "Dolgo", its beautiful, fragrant and its fruit make phenomenal jelly.
While wildlife love apples of any kind, the crabapple species native to North America have been in decline since European settlement. Habitat destruction and fire suppression are mainly to blame. They are listed as special concern or threatened in many states where they were once common. The same can be said for dozens of other native shrubs and trees and is just one of the reasons this channel promotes native species. The native crabapples were used traditionally for jellies, cider and vinegar before they became uncommon.
I'm not an expert by any means, but I've identified cedar apple rust occur with a much further spread than 500 ft. The cedar was at least 1/3 of a mile away from the only apple source and it was getting the rust pretty bad. Not to discourage planting native crabapples, but I'd definitely recommend doing your research on this first
Many plants in the rose family can harbor cedar apple rust - apples, crabapples, hawthorns, serviceberries, etc. Transmission between a cedar and the next host usually happens when they are within less than a mile of each other, and usually they need to be much closer. Five hundred feet is just a rule of thumb, and it can be hard to do that in the southeast where we had lots of native crabapple trees in the past before fire was suppressed and red cedar spread like crazy. The trees will live and grow just fine, they just may not produce viable fruit if infected with the rust.
@@BackyardEcologyaaah this is helpful to know. The place I spotted it was a stream restoration site, which serviceberries are used very often in around that area. It was very likely one of those and not the apples.
They can be hard to find but several native only nurseries do have them (contact your state's native plant society as most have a list of reputable native nurseries in the state). Anything from a big box store or most landscape nurseries will be non-native species or cultivars of the native ones.
My recent method of getting species like this has just been to go on inaturalist and see where the nearest confirmed location is. I'll then make a short trip out with some pruners or a bag for seed and get a few cuttings, or if it's the right season, seed. It's more work for sure, but it's a lot of fun and easier than it sounds. Obviously don't got cutting trees to the ground or pulling up native forbs for your garden, but most plants can cut from without damaging them. This gives the added bonuses of making it likely for you to get a local ecotype and to promote local biodiversity by taking from a different source than commercial sellers do. I'm currently growing either ioensis or coronaria (the apples are very green but I'm not in the range of ioensis so I can't tell) from seed I collected from a park :)
@BackyardEcology I'm also a crab apple nerd. My orchard is almost completely rescue trees from cider orchards and people's yards. My best tree was over a hundred years old, I took a few cuttings to graft, the following year I returned to steal apples and it had been cut down. I have fifty of it now. It makes the most exquisite jelly.
@@NelsonZAPTM Awesome! Good thing you got those scions when you did! We don't have a lot of old apple trees here in KY, there are a lot of old pears in my county. Back in the day there must have been a push to plant them. All of them are old, the same variety, and delicious.
Best bet is from a native plant nursery near you. Contact your state native plant society -they will likely have a list of the native nurseries near you.
I don't know of anyone selling scion wood from the native crabapples. They are normally planted as ungrafted stock for wildlife and pollinator habitat.
So I live in eastern ontario with sandy soil. I found something that look like a crab apple growing on fence lines and feild ditches. But I can't identify it. It's leafs look like elm leafs. And has 1 inch single thorns on it. And the "apples" start yellow then orange then turn red. My mom says there thorn apples but when I look that up is says that thorn apple is a type of poisonous plant. And it doesn't look to me like it's a hawthorn so idk 😐😕🤷. And one have any clues 😅
Some varieties of crabapples may have thorns on them. There are also a bunch of hawthorn species. Really hard to say without a few pics of the tree, fruit, leaves and twigs.
@@BackyardEcology okay thanks. I'll have to do a more indepth research and I have been meaning to talk to my local conservation authority. This does explain why the Google lens has no clue what it is. It says a rose, persimmons, crab apple and or hawthorn lol. Anyways thank you for the speedy response
The point and shoot plant apps have their limitations. especially when it comes to closely related species. From your description I would say it is some variety of crabapple, or another option is a species of wild plum. If the fruits have one big seed its a plum, if it has several smaller seeds its an apple. @@scottfraser706
"...it is always best to stick with the wild type." This is a problematic overgeneralization. As you undoubtedly know, the findings of Baisden et al. (2018) "...suggest that the usefulness of native cultivars in restoring insect-driven food webs depends on the cultivar trait that has been selected."
Very true. I may do a video on this subject. I am by no means a purist when it comes to this and some native cultivars do have their place in home and business landscapes. I added the wild type line into the crabapple video as many of the cultivars have been selected for showier blooms which may have an impact on insect use.
Have you planted native crabapples for pollinators and wildlife? Let us know about it in the comment! Also, if you would like to learn about another great native fruit tree, the American persimmon, check out this video: czcams.com/video/sSNg-b-v7Ek/video.html
We have started a wildlife preserve near Hearts Content, PA, in the midst of the Allegheny National Forest. The deer have browsed everything in the National Forest to the ground. Exceptions are invasive barberry, multiflora rose, knotweed, and Russian Autumn olive, mainly along rivers and creek bottoms. We have planted native crabapples (in addition to cultivars for people eating), along with a wide variety of other nut and fruit producers to help wildlife through our long cold winters with deep snow.
After several years of trying to re-establish native plants with various plastic / chicken wire cages, which the deer just smash or tear up off the plants, we have settled on 4’ welded wire (12.5 ga) fence, 3-4 ft in diameter, secured with 1 or 2 rebar and long landscape staples. This permits our trees and shrubs to reach maturity before deer begin to browse and the plants can start to produce fruit.
We use 6’ welded wire in a 6’ diameter for our orchard fruit trees, secured to four 8 ft tposts pounded in at least 18”- one side opens for pruning or harvesting. I have found that clear fishing line at several levels secured with rebar will protect more mature trees from browsing / antler rubbing. But do not mark it - if they see what they are brushing into, they will eat around it. Make sure you show your hubby, though. It doesn’t go well if he gets the tractor “hung up” 🫣
Good tips! I always tell people not to skimp on the cage material or the deer will get through it or destroy it. Around here you have to put some smaller fencing around the base of the cage (chicken wire or garden wire) or the rabbits will strip the bark off of saplings when it snows.
By all means plant some native crabapples if you want too but all apples are great for wildlife. The genus malus hybridizes very liberally and all species are quite closely related. As far as crabapples go I'm a big fan of the variety "Dolgo", its beautiful, fragrant and its fruit make phenomenal jelly.
While wildlife love apples of any kind, the crabapple species native to North America have been in decline since European settlement. Habitat destruction and fire suppression are mainly to blame. They are listed as special concern or threatened in many states where they were once common. The same can be said for dozens of other native shrubs and trees and is just one of the reasons this channel promotes native species. The native crabapples were used traditionally for jellies, cider and vinegar before they became uncommon.
I'm not an expert by any means, but I've identified cedar apple rust occur with a much further spread than 500 ft. The cedar was at least 1/3 of a mile away from the only apple source and it was getting the rust pretty bad. Not to discourage planting native crabapples, but I'd definitely recommend doing your research on this first
Many plants in the rose family can harbor cedar apple rust - apples, crabapples, hawthorns, serviceberries, etc. Transmission between a cedar and the next host usually happens when they are within less than a mile of each other, and usually they need to be much closer. Five hundred feet is just a rule of thumb, and it can be hard to do that in the southeast where we had lots of native crabapple trees in the past before fire was suppressed and red cedar spread like crazy. The trees will live and grow just fine, they just may not produce viable fruit if infected with the rust.
@@BackyardEcologyaaah this is helpful to know. The place I spotted it was a stream restoration site, which serviceberries are used very often in around that area. It was very likely one of those and not the apples.
That makes sense. @@joshward7009
Where do you find the wild strain of you want to buy some?
Seems as most commercial trees would be of the cross or hybrid strains!
They can be hard to find but several native only nurseries do have them (contact your state's native plant society as most have a list of reputable native nurseries in the state). Anything from a big box store or most landscape nurseries will be non-native species or cultivars of the native ones.
My recent method of getting species like this has just been to go on inaturalist and see where the nearest confirmed location is. I'll then make a short trip out with some pruners or a bag for seed and get a few cuttings, or if it's the right season, seed. It's more work for sure, but it's a lot of fun and easier than it sounds. Obviously don't got cutting trees to the ground or pulling up native forbs for your garden, but most plants can cut from without damaging them. This gives the added bonuses of making it likely for you to get a local ecotype and to promote local biodiversity by taking from a different source than commercial sellers do. I'm currently growing either ioensis or coronaria (the apples are very green but I'm not in the range of ioensis so I can't tell) from seed I collected from a park :)
Are these natives any good for jelly or cider?
Yes they are!
@BackyardEcology I'm also a crab apple nerd.
My orchard is almost completely rescue trees from cider orchards and people's yards.
My best tree was over a hundred years old, I took a few cuttings to graft, the following year I returned to steal apples and it had been cut down. I have fifty of it now. It makes the most exquisite jelly.
@@NelsonZAPTM Awesome! Good thing you got those scions when you did! We don't have a lot of old apple trees here in KY, there are a lot of old pears in my county. Back in the day there must have been a push to plant them. All of them are old, the same variety, and delicious.
Where can I get a native crabapple I live in central pa
Best bet is from a native plant nursery near you. Contact your state native plant society -they will likely have a list of the native nurseries near you.
Would you happen to know where I could get scion wood for these native crabapple trees?
I don't know of anyone selling scion wood from the native crabapples. They are normally planted as ungrafted stock for wildlife and pollinator habitat.
So I live in eastern ontario with sandy soil. I found something that look like a crab apple growing on fence lines and feild ditches. But I can't identify it. It's leafs look like elm leafs. And has 1 inch single thorns on it. And the "apples" start yellow then orange then turn red. My mom says there thorn apples but when I look that up is says that thorn apple is a type of poisonous plant. And it doesn't look to me like it's a hawthorn so idk 😐😕🤷. And one have any clues 😅
Some varieties of crabapples may have thorns on them. There are also a bunch of hawthorn species. Really hard to say without a few pics of the tree, fruit, leaves and twigs.
@@BackyardEcology okay thanks. I'll have to do a more indepth research and I have been meaning to talk to my local conservation authority. This does explain why the Google lens has no clue what it is. It says a rose, persimmons, crab apple and or hawthorn lol. Anyways thank you for the speedy response
The point and shoot plant apps have their limitations. especially when it comes to closely related species. From your description I would say it is some variety of crabapple, or another option is a species of wild plum. If the fruits have one big seed its a plum, if it has several smaller seeds its an apple. @@scottfraser706
"...it is always best to stick with the wild type." This is a problematic overgeneralization. As you undoubtedly know, the findings of Baisden et al. (2018) "...suggest that the usefulness of native cultivars in restoring insect-driven food webs depends on the cultivar trait that has been selected."
Very true. I may do a video on this subject. I am by no means a purist when it comes to this and some native cultivars do have their place in home and business landscapes. I added the wild type line into the crabapple video as many of the cultivars have been selected for showier blooms which may have an impact on insect use.
👍 button pollinated! 🐝🦋🪰🪲
YOU 🫵 are appreciated! 🙌
Thank you for the support!
You don’t introduce yourself. What is your Name? Thanks! 😊
My name is Anthony.
Oh, so you're the Anthony of Shannon and Anthony! Why didn't you say so? 😄
@@BackyardEcology
That would be me! @@elainelight9286
Heard Shannon speak in Johnson City. She's a keeper!