Ornamental apple tree, flowers galore

The flower apple tree or ornamental apple tree is a magnificent tree to decorate a garden, even though it doesn’t produce any palatable fruits.

Key Ornamental Apple tree facts

Name – Malus
Family – Rosaceae
Type – ornamental tree

Height – 6½ to 20 feet (2 to 6 meters)
Climate – Temperate
Exposure – sun and part sun

Soil – ordinary, well drained

Foliage – deciduous
Flowering – April May

Commonly called the crabapple or crab apple tree, its fruits are edible but are often too tart and small to be considered.

Planting an ornamental apple tree

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.

  • Favor an emplacement that is richly endowed with sunlight.
  • Ornamental apple tree likes deep, rich, well drained soil.
  • Avoid very drafty spots.
  • You can check our guidelines for planting.

Pruning an ornamental apple tree

No specific pruning, unlike that of the fruit apple tree.

However, you may eliminate dead wood and weak branches as you notice them.

Learn more about the ornamental apple tree

Small fruits of the ornamental apple tree are like beads along a branch.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.

Ornamental apple tree varieties

The ‘Coccinella’ ornamental apple tree variety is very hardy and will bloom profusely in reddish-pink hues.

Enemies & diseases that attack ornamental apple tree

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.

Among the ranks of parasites you’ll find

Among the battalions of fungus you’ll find

Ornamental varieties are usually more resistant to diseases than actual fruit apple trees.

Smart tip about the ornamental apple tree

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