Uses: Cabinets, flooring.
Habitat: Rich woodlands.
Range: New York to southern Illinois and Oklahoma, south to Louisiana and Georgia, also southern Ontario.
Distinguishing Features: The large toothless leaves are distinctive from leaves of all other Illinois trees except the Tupelo Gum, a tree of swamps which usually had 1-3 coarse teeth along the edges of each leaf. The silvery buds are also distinctive, as are the flowers and fruits.
NARROW-LEAVED CRAB APPLE
Malus angustifolia (Ait.) Michx.
Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 9 inches; crown spreading.
Bark: Reddish-brown, deeply furrowed, scaly.
Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown or pale brown, smooth, sometimes spur-like; leaf scars alternate, narrow, curved, with 3 bundle traces.
Buds: Rounded, brown, up to ¹/₁₆ inch in diameter, finely hairy.