Malus domestica

(Suckow) Borkh.

Common Apple

G5Secure Found in 24 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.961330
Element CodePDROS130J0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRosales
FamilyRosaceae
GenusMalus
Synonyms
Malus malus(L.) Britt.Malus pumilaP. Mill.Pyrus malusL.
Other Common Names
Cultivated Apple (EN) Paradise Apple (EN) Pommier commun (FR)
Concept Reference
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2014b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 9. Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 713 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (vol. 9, 2014) here expands the concept of Malus pumila (=M. domestica) to include M. sylvestris, while Kartesz (1994) treated them as distinct. As of 2025, FNA has "Revised Since Print" the accepted name in their online treatment, using M. domestica instead of M. pumila. FNA notes "Quian G. Z. et al.’s proposal (2010) to conserve the illegitimate name M. domestica as M. domestica (Suckow) Borkhausen was accepted by the Nomenclature session at the XIX International Botanical Congress in July 2017, held at Shenzhen, China. The legitimation of the name M. domestica in the Shenzhen code is accepted by the author and now followed in FNA’s digital treatment of Malus."
Conservation Status
Review Date2016-03-28
Change Date2016-03-28
Range Extent Comments
Introduced; St. Pierre and Miquelon; B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que.; Ala., Alaska, Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.; c Asia; introduced also in Mexico, Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala), South America (Argentina), Europe, e Asia, Africa (South Africa), Pacific Islands (New Zealand, Tristan da Cunha), Australia (FNA vol. 9, 2014).
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
IowaSNANo
North DakotaSNANo
New HampshireSNANo
AlaskaSNANo
North CarolinaSNANo
AlabamaSNANo
IndianaSNANo
NebraskaSNANo
PennsylvaniaSNANo
MontanaSNANo
MississippiSNANo
MichiganSNANo
KansasSNANo
LouisianaSNANo
VermontSNANo
GeorgiaSNANo
TennesseeSNANo
ArkansasSNANo
MaineSNANo
ConnecticutSNANo
West VirginiaSNANo
WashingtonSNANo
IllinoisSNANo
WyomingSNANo
OhioSNANo
District of ColumbiaSNANo
New YorkSNANo
MinnesotaSNANo
WisconsinSNANo
NevadaSNANo
VirginiaSNANo
ColoradoSNANo
New MexicoSNANo
MissouriSNANo
UtahSNANo
MassachusettsSNANo
MarylandSNANo
OregonSNANo
New JerseySNANo
South CarolinaSNANo
CaliforniaSNANo
DelawareSNANo
Rhode IslandSNANo
KentuckySNANo
CanadaNNA
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecSNANo
AlbertaSNANo
OntarioSNANo
British ColumbiaSNANo
Prince Edward IslandSNANo
New BrunswickSNANo
Nova ScotiaSNANo
ManitobaSNANo
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, Long-lived, DECIDUOUS
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (24)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blind Indian CreekPrescott National Forest26,847
California (5)
AreaForestAcres
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Jennie LakeSequoia National Forest2,388
Raywood Flat BSan Bernardino National Forest11,373
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
West GirardShasta-Trinity National Forest37,516
Montana (3)
AreaForestAcres
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
SapphireBitterroot National Forest43,303
Scotchman Peaks (MT)Kootenai National Forest53,909
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Holy GhostSanta Fe National Forest2,352
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Nichols ReservoirSanta Fe National Forest1,518
North Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Graveyard Ridge (addition)Pisgah National Forest1,958
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
Crane MountainFremont National Forest23,096
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Hearts ContentAllegheny National Forest221
Utah (5)
AreaForestAcres
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
North FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest8,148
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
TaneumWenatchee National Forest26,140
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2014b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 9. Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae. Oxford University Press, New York. xxiv + 713 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Khoury, C. K., S. Greene, J. Wiersema, N. Maxted, A. Jarvis, and P. C. Struik. 2013. An inventory of crop wild relatives of the United States. Crop Science 53(4):1496-1508.
  4. Plants for a Future (PFAF). 2025. Plants for a future database. Online. Available: https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx (accessed 2025).
  5. Qian, Q.-Z., L.-F. Liu, and G.-G. Tang. 2010. (1933) Proposal to conserve the name <i>Malus domestica </i>against <i>M. pumila, M. communis, M. frutescens, </i>and <i>Pyrus dioica </i>(Rosaceae). Taxon 59(2): 650-652.
  6. Turland, N.J., J.H. Wiersema, F.R. Barrie, W. Greuter, D.L. Hawksworth, P.S. Herendeen, S. Knapp, W.H. Kusber, D.Z. Li, K. Marhold, T.W. May, J. McNeill, A.M. Monro, J. Prado, M.J. Price, and G.F. Smith, eds. 2018. International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code) adopted by the Nineteenth International Botanical Congress Shenzhen, China, July 2017. Regnum Vegetabile 159. Glashütten: Koeltz Botanical Books. [https://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/main.php]
  7. USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System (USDA ARS NPGS). 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Online. Available:https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearchcwr (accessed 2025).