apple Rosaceae Malus spp. Mill.   symbol: MALUS
	Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical to ovate, 1 1/2 to 3 inches, pinnately veined, finely serrated, sometimes borne on spur shoots, green above and paler, white pubescent below and on the petiole. Flower: Monoecious; showy, may be white to red in color, with 5 petals for each flower; appear in the spring, usually in umbels. Fruit: Pomes of various sizes and color (cultivar dependent) ranging from yellow to red when ripe in the fall. Twig: Moderate in thickness, brown to gray, rapid growth usually gray hairy, generally many spur shoots; buds plump ovate, gray hairy. Bark: Variable, generally smooth when young, later thin and scaly. Form: Generally poor, with twisted trunks and low branching; spur shoots are prominent. When unpruned, numerous sucker shoots form along trunk and in crown.
	USDA Plants Database Malus spp. is planted in the highlighted USDA hardiness zones to the left and may seed into the landscape. See a map of the states in which apple has escaped (opens a new window).