Crabapple trees have adorned gardens across the globe for centuries. While some are actually grown for their edible fruits, the vast majority are enjoyed for their ornamental qualities in landscapes. Not to get all Latin on you, but crabapples are in the genus Malus with all other apples, hence my catchy title. There are hundreds of cultivars of these deciduous trees to choose from, but for our discussion today I will focus in on some of the newer modern flavors.
There are some useful heirloom style crabapples, but in all honesty with the typically wet spring weather we have in our area, most are susceptible to scab, mildew and other foliage issues. The old-school Japanese Crabapple (Malus floribunda) was super popular back in the day, but it is also among the worst for foliar diseases. I will make the assumption that no gardener likes to spray, thus choosing a variety for disease resistance is paramount. We are fortunate as gardeners that a number of institutions have bred Malus for superior genetics, resulting in options for the PNW that are near zero maintenance.
Speaking of maintenance, the other traditional issue with older crabapples has always been never-ending suckering off the root system. Shoots sprout off of the surface roots and the lower trunk, adding more work for any gardener to maintain. Now we can take advantage of superior root stocks, as many modern flavors are grafted on what we call the “Right Root” stock. This essentially eliminates this suckering while producing a sturdy, hardy, and cold hardy specimen for the garden. Trust me when I say that this is a game changer, for sure! As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The modern trees grafted on these roots are more money, but the reduction in spraying and low maintenance far offsets the cost.
Crabapples are truly a tree for all seasons in my opinion. First, they bloom reliably in early spring with some even offering a slight fragrance. Flowers can be found in many shades of pink and white, and all are favorites of early browsing bees. Foliage emerges with flowers and can be crisp green or a darker bronzy red. These brighter reddish foliage crabapples offer some nice contrast in our typical greenish landscapes. Once blooms have been pollinated by our friendly bees, they will produce small fruits. The size and color varies by variety, but most are small in the 1/4 to 1/2-inch range. These are perfect to add interest into fall and early winter, like little Christmas light fruits hanging amongst the branches. Don’t think of these fruits as messy. They are small, and birds and wildlife devour the vast majority of them each year. As a bonus each autumn, the foliage will light up with the colors of fall, infused with shades of gold, orange and/or scarlet.
Crabapples bloom on old wood, so growth that occurs over the summer sets buds, which then open up the following spring season. Keep this in mind when you make pruning decisions, as cutting them back over winter will eliminate much of your flowering potential. Thinning them out a bit may be beneficial over time. Feeding them with a good, organic, granular fertilizer in March and again in June is plenty - preferably a fruit/berry/vine type food. If you really want to up your flower game, give them a dose of ‘Ultra Bloom’ in June as well. This organic from E.B. Stone has no nitrogen and is all about bud and bloom for the following season.
For some suggestions on varieties, I am listing a few below to ponder. This by no means is all of the good ones, so investigate all of your options. There are still a few older ones like ‘Prairifire’ (red foliage, pink flower, small red fruits), ‘Evereste’ (green foliage, fragrant white flower, small orange fruits) and many others that may not be on the “Right Root” I mentioned above, but are still excellent disease resistant options.
Looking for something more columnar in shape? ‘Raspberry Spear’ (red foliage, pink bloom, purple-red fruits, red orange fall color) or ‘Ivory Spear’ (green foliage, white bloom, red fruit, yellow fall color) are about as good as it gets for modern crabapples. These upright varieties give height without a bushy spread, the perfect focal point tree. Raspberry grows to about 20-feet tall but only 8-feet wide, and Ivory tops out at 18-feet with a 7-foot spread.
Looking for something small and tidy? There are some awfully cool patio tree style crabapples: picture a lollipop-shape with a thick trunk and a rounded head on top. These might be the perfect choice for a specimen that is more formal, or even a street tree that does not need as much pruning. Flavors like ‘Sparkling Sprite’ (green foliage, white bloom, orange/yellow fruit, yellow fall color), ‘Lollipop’ (green foliage, fragrant white bloom, red fruits, orange/yellow fall color), ‘Sargent Tina’ (green foliage, fragrant white bloom, red fruit, yellow/orange fall color) and others are useful. ‘Sargent Tina’ even has a slightly wider and weeping habit of only 5-feet tall and 6-feet wide. ‘Sparkling Sprite' matures into a dense and tidy specimen at about 12-feet tall and wide. ‘Lollipop’ will grow to only 8-feet tall and wide.
Looking for larger growers? Two very interesting options are ‘Royal Raindrops’ (red foliage, pink flower, red fruit, orange red fall color) and ‘Golden Raindrops’ (green foliage, white flower, golden fruits, yellow/orange fall color). These are both stunning specimens, maturing into vase shaped trees of about 20-feet tall and 15-feet wide with time. Both are excellent disease resistant cultivars, even displaying interesting cut foliage that is very different than other crabapples.
Looking for hot foliage and flower? The ultimate choice to me is ‘Ruby Dayze’, a variety sporting a tidy oval shape and superior disease immunity in our area. Eventually growing to about 20-feet tall and 15-feet wide with time, this is the best red foliage crabapple, without question. Hot magenta pink spring flowers are followed by small bright red fruits and orange to red fall color. This one simply pops in any landscape setting!
I sincerely hope that you consider these and other crabapples when you are in the mood to add a flowering tree to your landscape. The new flavors I have mentioned really are trouble-free, and are sure to give you a lifetime of garden enjoyment. You can always visit your local garden center and speak with a Certified Professional Horticulturist, allowing them to assist you in selecting the perfect one for your special garden setting. When you combine spring bloom, clean foliage, fall color, and small fruits for wildlife, crabapples are truly a tree option that shines in all seasons in any landscape.
