Flower profile

Sweet crabapple

Malus coronaria

Sweet crabapple (Malus coronaria) is a shrub or small tree in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

★ Official state flower of Michigan (1897)Native to Michigan

Sweet crabapple is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

22states where USDA records it

89MI sightings*

449U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Michigan

🏅

Michigan's official state flower since 1897. Visit the Michigan page → ^{Joint Resolution 10 of 1897 (MCL 2.11)} The resolution names the apple blossom and points to Michigan's native sweet crabapple (then called Pyrus coronaria), so we show that species.

Quick look

Malus coronaria, also known by the names sweet crabapple or garland crab, is a North American species of Malus (crabapple).
From Wikipedia's article Malus coronaria, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 22 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Michigan. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 89 research-grade sightings of it in Michigan, ranking #120 among the 172 flowers on our Michigan list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (24 records)

There are only a handful of Michigan flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S1), NC (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Fruits are used to make preserves (crab apple jelly) or cider.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsCan be a problem for cats, dogs and horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. ^{NC State Extension}

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records sweet crabapple in 22 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Michigan counties with USDA records: Barry, Berrien, Cass, Eaton, Gratiot, Ingham, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Midland, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oakland, Oscoda, Saginaw, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wayne.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Malus bracteata, Malus glaucescens, Malus glabrata, Malus lancifolia, Pyrus bracteata, Pyrus coronaria, Pyrus glaucescens, Pyrus lancifolia.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 412 counties across 20 states; the most are in Ohio (85), Pennsylvania (51), Indiana (49).

Other Malus on Bloomipedia (2): Apple, Japanese flowering crabapple.

More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry.

More Michigan flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in MI: June–July

Multiflora rose

Rosa multiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MI: May–June

Black raspberry

Rubus occidentalis

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in MI

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MACO5.
iNaturalist, Malus coronaria: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Malus coronaria (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Joint Resolution 10 of 1897 (MCL 2.11): Michigan state flower.
Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Malus coronaria (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Evan Barker via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.