Family: Rosaceae
Iowa crabapple, prairie crabapple
[Malus ioensis var. bushii (A.W.Wood) Britton, more...]
Roger A. Bohringer
Roger A. Bohringer
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)
Etymology: Malus: classical name of apple
Plants: perennial tree/shrub
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: perennial tree/shrub
Conservation Status: Native
Thin woods of oak, oak-maple-basswood, oak-hickory; edges of mesic or floodplain forests, sandstone ridges and blufftops, pine relicts, dry to mesic prairies, thickets, along streams, fencerows, along roadsides and railroads, Lake Michigan dunes. This is our only definitively native species, and it is (or was) common across the southern two tiers of counties, ranging as far north as Outagamie and Wood Cos. However, this species does seem to have declined in recent years or is not being collected by local botanists. One theory is that the strong emphasis on burning prairies has destroyed the natural shrub thickets that often existed in those habitats. These thickets were historically composed of prairie crabapple as well as species such as Prunus americana, Physocarpus opulifolius, and Cornus racemosa and they formed in draws and other areas that burned infrequently. Current prairie management techniques are perhaps overly aggressive in removing woody vegetation and we risk losing other important components of these habitats.
Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 4 Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos University of Wisconsin - Green Bay: Trees: Photos, descriptions, information
Roger A. Bohringer
Roger A. Bohringer
Roger A. Bohringer
