Crabapple trees (botanical name Malus) are like miniature apple trees ( Malus domestica ). The smallest crabapple trees can be small shrub-like bushes around 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall. Larger crabapples can grow to between 20 and 30 ft. (6 - 9 m). Most crabapple trees thrive in zones USDA 4 through 8. Crabapples are small deciduous trees native to temperate Asia and North America. In the spring, the trees are covered with pretty pink or white blossoms that often have amazing fragrances. Most crabapples are edible to some degree, depending on the size and sweetness of the fruit.
American Crabapple
Flowering crabapples ( Malus spp.) are ornamental trees that produce showy blossoms and brightly colored fruits. Their fruits usually aren't sold by grocery stores, but you can grow and harvest crabapples from your tree to eat or add to recipes. Malus ( / ˈmeɪləs / [3] or / ˈmæləs /) is a genus of about 30-55 species [4] of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples and wild apples . The genus is native to the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere . Description Flowering crabapple blooms Crabapple trees have oval, green, serrated leaves that grow alternately on the branch and turn vibrant colors in autumn. Thorns may be present. In spring, the tree is covered in flowers ranging from white to purple and red. Clustering fruits form in summer and often remain on the tree into winter. Crabapple trees are normally planted from potted nursery specimens in the fall. They have a moderate growth rate of 12 to 24 inches per year, and a 5-gallon potted tree may take three to five years or even longer before it flowers heavily.
crabapple leaf identification
Crabapple 'Royalty', Crab Apple 'Royalty'. One of the very best crabapples for dark purple foliage, Malus 'Royalty' is a dense, spreading deciduous tree with ovate dark purple leaves, turning vivid red in the fall. Masses of fragrant, purplish-red, single flowers appear in pretty clusters in mid-spring. They are followed by abundant, very. Floweirng crabapple trees have showy spring flowers and brightly colored fruit from late summer through fall. Many grow 15 to 20 feet tall and wide, but there are also smaller dwarf varieties.. good fall leaf color, and attractive fruit. Even better, they resist apple scab and other common diseases that have beset crabapples in the past. Physical description Crabapple trees are stiffer in form and spinier than the common apple. The plants are deciduous and often have attractive fall foliage. The simple ovate leaves are serrated along the margins and are borne alternately along the twigs. The crabapple is a small, deciduous tree found primarily in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. These trees typically grow to be 4-12 m tall, and possess distinct white, pink, or red petals when in bloom. Crabapples are self-sterile, and thus completely rely on insect pollinators to transport their pollen.
How to Grow Crabapple Growing and Caring for Flowering Crabapples
Adirondack Janet Mesic Mackie This crabapple variety's long-lasting, deep pink buds are known to open into nearly pure white flowers. Its blooms develop into abundant orange-red fruits that hang on into early winter. Adirondack's leaves are green most of the year before turning yellow in fall. Malus angustifolia, also known as southern crabapple, narrow leaf crabapple, or wildcrapple ³ is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae) and is a eudicot. Southern crabapple is a small tree that typically grows to be between 20 and 35 feet tall ². Its trunk reaches 8 to 10 inches in diameter ¹. Its 1 to 3 inch leaves are oblong with a blunt.
An early harbinger of spring, crabapple trees bloom profusely in an amazing display of fragrant white or pink blossoms. Once pollinated, the summer months see crabapple trees turn to fruit production and a return to a lovely canopy of green leaves. In autumn, it makes another dramatic transformation with bright red, orange, and yellow foliage. Plant Type: Deciduous Tree Hardiness Zones: 4-8 (USDA) Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade Soil Type: Well-draining soil Soil pH: 6.0-7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral) Maturity: 20-30 years Height: 20-30 feet Spacing: 15-20 feet Bloom Time: Spring Flower Color: White, pink, red, purple Native Area: North America, Europe, and Asia
Callaway Crabapple Tree Just Fruits and Exotics
Crabapples are best grown in a sunny location with good air circulation and have no particular soil preferences, except soil should be well-drained. Root pruned trees transplant most easily. Tree size, flower color, fruit color, and growth and branching habit vary considerably with the cultivar grown but many grow about 20 feet tall and wide. Family: Rosaceae (rose) Click on images of Crabapple to enlarge. Deciduous. There are many varieties (over 700 cultivars). Heights that range from 15 - 45 ft. Crown can be very busy and produce many twigs. Flowers in the early spring. Often grown as an ornamental tree. Edible fruits are small red in color (usually), often very sour.
