Size

Apple trees do not have large leaves. Those of the commonly cultivated apple trees average between 1.5 to 3 inches long, while few crabapple species have leaves that are greater than 4 inches long.

Shape

Most apple leaves are either elliptical or oval. Their bases can be rounded, wedge shaped, or in the case of the Biltmore crabapple, straight.

Colors

The colors of an apple leaf are typically darker on the upper surface of the leaf than they are on the underside. Different shades of green, such as the yellow-green of the sweet crabapple, are the norm.

Stems

The stems of apple tree leaves are often hairy. According to the “Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees,” leaves on the southern crabapple are hairy when the tree is young, but lose this attribute as the tree matures.

Fun Fact

An ornamental crabapple species, the Sargent crabapple, differs from most apple trees because some varieties of this tree have leaves with three lobes.