Habitat:
Crabapples are cold hardy. They thrive in all types of fertile soil.
A position in full sun is required for good flower and fruit production.
The prairie or Iowa crab (M. ioensis) grows in open woods, wood edges,
prairie remnants and abandoned pastures throughout Iowa, except in the extreme
northwest parts of the state.
Diseases: Certain cultivars are more disease- and pest-resistant than others; the Asiatic forms are more resistant than the native forms. This genus is susceptible to many pests and diseases, including apple scale, cedar-apple rust, fire blight, powdery mildew, aphids, leafhoppers and apple borers. Rusts and mildews lead to unattractive foliage, defoliation, and sometimes death in wet years.
Distribution: This genus is native in North America, Europe and Asia. Cultivated varieties often escape from cultivation and become naturalized.
