Pacific Crabapple Seeds

Pacific Crabapple Seeds - Malus fusca - Oregon Crabapple, qwa’upulhp

Malus fusca
Oregon Crabapple, qwa’upulhp

Hardy to Zone 5
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Germination Tested Float test

Approximately 15 seeds per packet

$5.00 CAD

Sale Sold out

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Pacific Crabapple is a wild species of apple native to the pacific northwest. It makes small but abundant tart fruits that can be canned whole, or made into jelly or cider. It has showy pink/white flowers in the spring that pollinators love, and has ornamental value in the bronze fruit clusters in late summer and colourful foliage in fall. The bark becomes rough and ridged with age.

Because this species is both drought and wet tolerant, it's becoming a popular rootstock for challenging sites. It will even grow in standing water! It's also disease-resistant.

Birds love the fruit, and because the trees often have pointy spines, they make a safe roosting spot for birds at night.

This is an important tree for Indigenous peoples on the west coast. One way people stored them for winter is to store the unripe green apples in bentwood cedar boxes filled with water in a cool place. Over time the fruits soften and develop and aroma like cotton candy. They are still widely used today.

I believe the trees I harvested from were planted and stewarded by the Indigenous groups of the area (K'ómoks, Kwalikum, and/or Snaw-naw-as peoples). The beautiful old trees grow along a river, and in one stretch they are in a perfectly straight line. There are many other Indigenous food plants in the area, such as silverweed, rose, and black hawthorn, which seems to me like an intentional food forest.

50% of sales from this variety go to Sovereign Seeds, an Indigenous-led initiative dedicated to the revitalization of Indigenous seed and food sovereignty in so-called Canada.

Growing Instructions

Soak seeds for 24 hours, then sow 1/4 inch deep in moist potting soil. Seeds require 30 to 90 days of cold stratification, which can be done in the fridge, or naturally outdoors if planted in fall. After stratification, keep at 15-20 degrees C to sprout, or allow for natural spring temperatures.
Grow on in pots or a nursery bed until large enough to be planted out.

Shipping & Returns

We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight, United States for $12, and Internationally for $20*. Live plants and large bulbs can only be shipped within Canada.

Any shipping overages will be refunded.

Shipping in Canada

We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order. Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.

Shipping to the US

We ship all US orders via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive.

In our experience shipping seeds over several years, most small orders will make it across the border without issues, but occasionally they will be held at US Customs.

It is the buyer's responsibility to ensure that seeds or bulbils are allowed to be sent to your region. We are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs in your country.

Shipping Internationally

International orders are usually shipped via untracked packet. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held of confiscated by customs.

International shipping countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page

Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option.

If you have any issues with your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will do our best to make it right.

*Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars.