Friday, May 1, 2015
Crabapples provide food for over 25 species of songbirds, including cedar waxwing, woodpeckers, orioles and mockingbirds. They provide cover and nesting sties for others such as robins, blue jays and catbirds. Crabapples, a favorite of deer and foxes, are also consumed by raccoons, bear, opossums and rabbites. The are also the larval host plants for the red spotted purple and striped hairstreak butterflies and an important nectar source for bees early in the season.