Species #35: Pacific Crabapple
Pacific Crabapple
Malus fusca
Crabapples are reasonably common at low elevations where there is good light. I have mostly noticed them at edge of the forest along beaches where the terrain is not very steep. They’re probably not limited to these locations, however. The fruit of this tree is small and very tart. In my experience, you either pick them before they get totally ripe (and then stemming them is a pain), or you pick them when they are soft, and you end up with juice in your bag. I’ve made jam out of them (they have enough pectin that you don’t need to add more), and still have a quart of sauce in the freezer that I’ve not manage to get around to using.