Pink and carmine buds open into a haze of pure white, pink or red blossom, followed by deep green leaves that turn orange-red and small apples that hang on for much of winter. The ornamental apple, or crabapple (Malus), is grown for that year-round show; give it sun and deep, well-drained soil and it delivers.
| Name | Malus |
|---|---|
| Family | Rosaceae |
| Type | Ornamental tree |
| Height | 6½ to 20 feet (2 to 6 metres) |
| Climate | Temperate |
| Exposure | Sun and part sun |
| Soil | Ordinary, well drained |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Flowering | mid-spring to late spring |
Commonly called the crabapple or crab apple tree, its fruits are edible but are often too tart and small to be considered.
The flower apple tree, or ornamental apple tree, is preferably planted in fall like most trees.
That ensures it can properly develop a root system before winter sets in which will guarantee proper vegetation when warmer days return.
But if you choose to plant it at the very beginning of spring, you’ll be able to accurately choose the blooming of your apple tree, because, if purchased in a container, it will already be bearing flowers at the store. This is useful since there are a great many varieties.
No specific pruning, unlike that of the fruit apple tree.
However, you may eliminate dead wood and weak branches as you notice them.
Blossom and fruit form on short spurs, so spare them.
Rub out any suckers rising from below the graft union before they thicken, or the rootstock will sap the chosen variety.
Thin out branches that cross or grow inwards to open the crown to air and light, which reduces scab and powdery mildew pressure.
The flower apple tree is a magnificent ornamental tree that will embalm your gardens right at the beginning of spring.
It changes dramatically as seasons come and go, and is also one of the most beautiful autumn trees.
At the beginning of spring, pink and carmine red buds appear on the ornamental apple tree.
The color then changes to shift to variations of pure white, pink or red as the blooming evolves.
At the end of the blooming season, the foliage covers the entire space, with its distinctive deep green that will turn to orange red in fall.
At the end of summer, small red, orange or yellow apples appear and will stay on the tree for the most part of winter if not harvested.
Few small trees change as completely through the year as the crabapple. Here is what to expect, and when.
| Season | What the tree does | Colours |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning of spring | Buds swell and open | Pink and carmine red |
| mid-spring to late spring | Full blooming | Pure white, pink or red |
| After flowering | Foliage fills out, then colours up | Deep green turning orange red in fall |
| End of summer into winter | Small apples form and persist on the branches | Red, orange or yellow |
That succession is what makes it one of the most beautiful autumn trees as well as a spring one.
Crabapples differ far more in fruit and habit than in blossom, and most garden centres stock only a dozen or so names. The table below sets out the ones you are most likely to be offered, so you can match flower, fruit and shape to the space you have.
| Variety | Flower colour | Fruit | Habit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘John Downie’ | White, from pink buds | Large orange-red | Upright, medium | Crabapple jelly |
| ‘Golden Hornet’ | White | Bright yellow, long-lasting | Upright then spreading, medium | Winter fruit display; widely reported as susceptible to apple scab |
| ‘Evereste’ | White, from red buds | Orange-red, persistent | Conical, medium | Scab-prone gardens; among the most disease-resistant crabapples |
| Japanese crab | Pale pink, from crimson buds | Small yellow-red | Arching spreading, medium | Sheer weight of blossom |
| ‘Red Jade’ | White, from pink buds | Bright red | Weeping | A specimen by a lawn or path |
| ‘Sugar Tyme’ | White, from pale pink buds | Red, persistent | Upright oval, medium | Heavy, reliable fruiting |
| ‘Red Sentinel’ | White | Glossy deep red, very persistent | Rounded, medium | Fruit held into late winter |
| ‘Profusion’ | Purple-red | Small dark red | Spreading, medium | Bronze-purple young leaves |
| ‘Royalty’ | Crimson-purple | Dark red | Upright rounded, medium | Season-long purple foliage |
| ‘Rudolph’ | Deep pink-red | Amber-yellow | Upright, medium | Street and front-garden planting |
| ‘Van Eseltine’ | Double pink | Small yellow-red | Narrow, columnar | Tight spaces |
| ‘Prairifire’ | Deep pinkish-red | Small dark purple-red | Rounded spreading, medium | Disease resistance |
| ‘Donald Wyman’ | White, from pink buds | Bright red, persistent | Broad rounded, large | Shade and long fruit show |
| ‘Dolgo’ | White | Large bright red | Vigorous spreading, large | Preserves and pollination |
| ‘Coccinella’ | Reddish-pink, blooms profusely | Not stated | Not stated | Very hardy planting |
Quite resistant to disease, and often considered to be more hardy than the fruit apple tree, the ornamental apple trees is nonetheless occasionally visited by parasites and certain diseases.
Ornamental varieties are usually more resistant to diseases than actual fruit apple trees.
Rake up and dispose of fallen crabapple leaves, since scab spores overwinter in the old litter beneath the tree.
Shoots that blacken and hook over like a shepherd’s crook point to fireblight; cut well back into healthy wood and disinfect the saw between cuts.
Pick off any shrivelled, mummified apples that stay stuck to the twigs, as they harbour brown rot.
When planted near an orchard, an ornamental apple tree will increase pollination of fruit trees!
Regular apple tree flowers will have a higher chance of being fertilized, and other species will benefit from beneficial insects attracted by the crabapple tree.
Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Pink ornamental apple tree by Karsten Paulick under Pixabay license
Fruiting ornamental apple tree by Hans Braxmeier under Pixabay license
