noun
flowering crab apple; crab apple blossom
Refers to various ornamental Malus species and their blossoms, including Malus halliana, Malus micromalus, Malus spectabilis, Malus baccata, and sometimes aronia. In everyday use, the exact species is rarely distinguished; the word evokes the classic pink spring blossoms.
公園の海棠が満開だ。
The crab apple blossoms in the park are in full bloom.
海棠の花は淡いピンク色で美しい。
The flowers of the crab apple are a pale pink and very beautiful.
The kanji 海 (sea) and 棠 (crab apple) together form the name for flowering crab apple. The reading かいどう is the on'yomi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese poetry to refer to ornamental Malus species.