Apple (Malus domestica) — Plotwright

›

›

Apple

Habit (mature) · Joanna Boisse / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Limited coverage

Apple

Malus domestica

The domesticated orchard apple — a deciduous Rosaceae tree grown for its showy, edible fruit and fragrant April blossom of five white-to-pink petals around a ring of yellow stamens. Not native to North America (the genus Malus spans Europe, Asia, and North America, but the cultivated apple is an Old World hybrid lineage). Almost all varieties are self-incompatible: a second, different apple cultivar blooming at the same time must be nearby for fruit to set, and trees are grown on dwarf, semi-dwarf, or standard rootstocks that decide final size.

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: narrow (38/100)

Edible

Focal point

Structure

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

96-300" tall · 180" apart

Hardy in zones

5a-8b

very cold to frosty winters

Summer heat range

Cool-Warm

cool to warm summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

Related products

Sponsored

Watering and irrigation

Watering cans, soaker hoses, drip kits, moisture meters, and timers.

Search watering and irrigation on Amazon →

Plant support

Stakes, cages, trellises, ties, clips, arbors, and heavy-duty supports.

Search plant support on Amazon →

Acid-soil care

Sulfur, acid-loving plant fertilizer, pine bark, and pH monitoring.

Search acid-soil care on Amazon →

Soil testing and pH

pH meters, soil test kits, lab mailers, and amendment calculators.

Search soil testing and ph on Amazon →

Transplanting and establishment

Trowels, transplant spades, starter fertilizer, root stimulators, and watering bags.

Search transplanting and establishment on Amazon →

Drainage and aeration

Perlite, pumice, raised-bed mix, aerators, and drainage-focused containers.

Search drainage and aeration on Amazon →

Plotwright may earn a commission from purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.

A documented larval host for the Cecropia moth and 1 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.

Wildlife relationships

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 40 ecoregions — 34 climate-resilient through 2070 · 5 suited today · 1 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Arizona Mountains forests

Blue Mountains forests

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Colorado Rockies forests

Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

Pollination

Self-incompatible

Most apple cultivars are self-incompatible — Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder states cross-pollination with another apple variety is necessary for fruit production. A second, genetically different cultivar with an overlapping bloom window must be within bee-flight range, and insect pollinators (chiefly bees) carry the pollen between trees. A lone apple, or two trees that bloom at different times, will flower but set little or no fruit.

Plants don't grow alone

Larval host

Moth

Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia)

Larval host

Moth

Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus)

Pollinates

Bee

Mason bees (Osmia spp.)

Pollinates

Bee

Leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.)

Pollinates

Bee

European honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Honey bees are the principal managed pollinator of orchard apples; because the cultivated apple is self-incompatible (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder), bee transfer of pollen between two different cultivars is what sets the crop.

Nectar forage

Bee

Common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens)

Bumble bees work the fragrant spring blossom for nectar and pollen and are effective apple pollinators alongside honey bees; the showy April flower is a spring forage source.

Pollen forage

Bee

Mining bees (Andrena spp.)

Fruit forage

Bird

Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula)

Fruit forage

Bird

Eastern songbirds (multi-species) (multiple species (Passeriformes))

Fallen and unharvested apples are eaten by songbirds and other wildlife through fall and winter; the fruit is a common late-season food source in and around orchards.

Foliage forage

Mammal

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Shelter / habitat

Beetle

Lady beetles (Coccinellidae)

For people

Edible

Grown for its showy, edible fruit (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists the fruit as "Showy, Edible"). The apple is one of the most widely cultivated temperate fruit crops, eaten fresh, cooked, pressed for cider, and stored. As with all rose-family fruit trees, the seeds and leaves contain cyanogenic compounds and are not eaten, but the flesh is a staple food.

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Apple (Malus domestica). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/apple

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Botanical research database

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0

Backs 1 field

Image

Community photos

The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

Plotwright

Climate-aware plant planning — every plant checked against your zone now and in 2050.

support@arteractive.co

Explore

Reference

Policies

© 2026 Plotwright