Similar species: Page is under construction. Please see link below for general information on the genus Malus.
Flowering: late April to late May
Habitat and ecology: Infrequent in woodland edges, clearings, and along fencerows. This species is most often found in the eastern and northern part of the Chicago Region, especially near Lake Michigan.
Occurence in the Chicago region: native
Etymology: Malus is the classic name for apple. Coronaria refers to garlands.
Tall shrub or low tree with thorny branches, rarely to 10 m; lvs ovate to triangular-ovate to sometimes broadly lanceolate, acute or acuminate, mostly with rounded to cordate base, 4-10 cm, glabrous beneath or sparsely villous when young, serrate., or commonly with a few triangular lobes near the widest part; hypanthium and cal glabrous or sparsely villous; fls at first pink, fading white; anthers pink or salmon-color; fr subglobose, greenish, 2-3 cm; 2n=68. Woods and thickets; N.Y. to Mich., Ill., and occasionally Mo., s. irregularly to n. Ga., n. Ala., and ne. Ark. (Malus bracteata; M. coronaria; M. glaucescens; M. lancifolia) Hybrids of this with no. 5 [Pyrus angustifolia Aiton] or with P. malus are called P. ذlatycarpa L. H. Bailey.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.