Crabapples are small, egg-shaped fruits that turn from yellowish to reddish when ripe. The plant that bears these fruits ranges from a shrub to a small tree (2-12 m [6.5-40 ft]) tall, and armed with sharp spur-shoots that resemble large thorns. The pacific crabapple grows in moist woods, swamps, and other areas near water such as upper beaches and the edges of estuaries. It occurs from low to middle elevations throughout the coast.