Scientific name:
Malus fusca General: Shrub or small tree, 2-12 m tall, armed with sharp spur-shoots; older bark deeply fissured.
Leaves: Alternate, deciduous, lance- to egg-shaped, to 10 cm long, pointed at the end, toothed, with irregular lobes; turn red or yellow-orange in the fall.
Flowers: White to pink, showy, fragrant apple blossoms, about 2 cm across; 5-12 in flat-topped clusters on spur-shoots.
Fruits: Green becoming yellow or reddish, small (10-15 mm long) egg-shaped apples; edible but a bit tart.
Ecology: Moist woods, swamps, edges of standing and flowing water, upper beaches, often fringing estuaries; low to middle elevations the length of our region.