Apple and Crabapple on One Tree: The Magic of Grafting

A tree bearing both crabapples and regular apples on adjacent branches prompts the question: is this possible? The expert explains that grafting—joining stems of different varieties onto a single rootstock—makes this entirely feasible. Since both are in the genus Malus, they're highly compatible. Grafting has been used for centuries to create multi-fruit trees (e.g., peach, pear, apple on one rootstock), though such trees can be less hardy. Modern gene splicing may eventually replace grafting, but for now, it's the proven method.