Crabapples and Serviceberries make Great Edible Landscaping

Crabapples, (Malus sp.), make a gorgeous small

specimen tree with great color and fragrance in the spring

and showy fruit in the fall.

We don’t normally eat them, but maybe we should. The

fruits are small and have a core, so eating them fresh

isn’t a good option. Depending upon the cultivar they are

also quite tart, but that doesn’t render them useless, far

from it.

Crabapples make great jelly, and since they are

naturally high in pectin no commercial pectin is usually

necessary for a good set. They also make a great accent

for other fruits. Add them to homemade applesauce.

Raw crabapples contain significant amounts of vitamin

C if kept below 118 F. Temperatures higher than this

destroy enzymes and some other beneficial organic

compounds.

The problem is that most are just too sour for fresh

consumption. Cooking reduces many of the positive

nutritional properties. This is true for nearly all

fruits, but it alone will never deter me from homemade

preserves or pie. In fact, crabapple might just be my

favorite jelly and here’s why.

The high pectin levels help create a very viscous

product. Thicker jelly is just the ticket for making

filled cookies. It doesn’t run during the baking process.

There is no caramelized mess on the cookie sheets.

Another great use for these underutilized fruits is to

cook them in a little water and strain out the seeds,

leaving a brightly colored pulp. Use this material to

substitute for the crushed bananas in your favorite banana

bread recipe. You will have to increase the sugar a bit,

but you might be surprised how creative you can be.

If all this is a bit of a stretch for you from a

culinary standpoint, don’t despair. Crabapples are just

fine if left in the landscape. They hold their fruit for a

long time, and the apples are small enough for the birds to

clean up. There is seldom much mess.

Blossom color varies from nearly pure white, through

the pinks and reds to almost purple. Fruit color ranges

from yellow to red to deep burgundy. Fruit size ranges

from garden peas to golf balls. Foliage can be solid green

or variegated green and cream to reddish or purplish.

Some cultivars can be maintained as small shrubs,

while others reach heights of more than 25 feet. Although

sometimes escaping into the wild they are not nearly as

invasive as the Bradford pear. Also, the wood is much

harder, making them better for our storm-prone area.

I tire of the same old landscaping everywhere,

especially when it won’t tolerate our growing conditions.

So often we see ornamental pear trees ravaged by our strong

winds. Other more adaptable species could be used, but

familiarity and cheap prices usually win out.

When it comes to small flowering trees and tall hedges

I’d like to see more serviceberry trees planted. Also

called shadbush, they have beautiful white flowers like the

pears but without the fetid odor. They also have relatively

strong wood that is far less susceptible to wind damage.

Serviceberries can sometimes grow 30 feet tall, but

15-18 feet is typical. They prefer a slightly acid soil and

full to partial sun. Trees grow in full shade but won’t

flower or fruit very much. Serviceberries are also tolerant

of wet soil. Since trees flower so early in spring, they

could be a valuable nectar and pollen source for

beekeepers.

Serviceberries are native plants, though not common in

this area. At least 20 different species inhabit North

America. Fall foliage color ranges from yellowish gold to

an orange red. Trees may be single or multi-trunk form.

Best of all, they have edible fruits. These sweet

morsels look like half ripe blueberries. They remind me a

little of large huckleberries. Typical size is about a half

inch in diameter.

Elongated seeds are somewhat larger than those in

blueberries but not as big as blackberry seeds. Mature

trees can bear several pounds of fruit. Individual plants

can be productive for over 30 years. Some folks call them

Juneberries, but fruits ripen in mid to late May in this

area.

Fruit production is usually concentrated into a short

time window, which is good. However, you must be ready when

the fruit is. There is another problem. Birds love them. So

don’t other wildlife. Again, that’s not a concern if you

wish to attract birds to your property and don’t care about

harvesting fruit. Deer rarely damage the trees either.

When I lived in Maine and West Virginia I knew where

many wild ones grew. I’d bring several tarps along and

spread them under each tree. Then I’d climb as high as I

could and shake the whole crown. Often the birds beat me to

them but occasionally I’d hit the jackpot.

I’d pour the fruits into a large bucket and take them

to a windy place or in front of a large box fan and winnow

them. Pouring the fruit back and forth from one container

to the other a few times was all that was necessary to

filter out leaves, twigs and other debris.

Fruits have a short shelf life, so have a plan of

action. They freeze and can well and can also be dried like

raisins. Substitute them in any recipe calling for

blueberries. Color will be less intense and flavor slightly

different, but quality of the product won’t suffer.