What is the difference between a large crab apple and a small apple?

[kabic]

What is the difference between a large crab apple and a small apple? Is it purely an arbitrary size? Some kind of taste profile, some other criteria?

For example what is this apple or crab apple?

 

[Lot2Learn]

The standard I've seen applied is: malus trees with fruit less than 2" are crabapples.

http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/crabapple-cultivars

 

[j-bird]

I have always read the same thing - its based on fruit size.

 

[chickenlittle]

It is an arbitrary human convention. Most apple species would be considered crabs. What we call an apple is a hybrid selected over thousands of years for large, good tasting fruit. The closest to a real apple is the Kazakh and other western asian wild apples which vary in fruit size but look like an apple. Some researchers believe those are hybrids mixed with chinese apple species rather than a unique species.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Crap apples are kinda subjective but likely make your eyes water like greasy dog farts:p

 

[sandbur]

Crap apples are kinda subjective but likely make your eyes water like greasy farts:p

Almost a quote!