Sweet Crabapple
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

20-30' tall and wide. Habit is wide-spreading, short-trunked. National champion in Vermont is 39' tall by 31' wide. Moderate rate of growth. Most crabapples have a relatively short to medium lifespan, rarely exceeding 100 years.

Native Range

Most crabapples are not native to the United States. According to Dr. Michael Dirr, "Twenty to 30 species of crabapples are scattered in the temperate regions of North America, Europe and Asia." About 200 types are grown in N. American nurseries.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are 1.5-2" diameter, single, pink in bud, opening to white petals tinged with rose, and their fragrance is akin to the flowers of violets. One of the very last crabapples to come into flower. Fruits are 1-1.5" diameter, yellow-green in color, in the nearly rounded shape of an orange, but their taste is very harsh and acid.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Leaves are simple, alternate, ovate, and finely toothed around the margin. Most crabapples develop yellowish to yellow-green fall color. Bark is gray. It starts out smooth, becoming somewhat scaly with age.

Culture and Care

Full sun is best, in a moist, acid (pH 5.0-6.5), well-drained soil. However, crabapples usually perform quite well in clay soils as well. Avoid shade and low, wet areas. Good air circulation and full sun will help prevent foliar and fruit diseases. Prune, if desired, after blooms fade and drop off. Finish pruning by mid-June to prevent removal of next year's flower buds. Zone 4-7. Very susceptible to rust fungus diseases. In general, most crabapples are susceptible to many insect and disease problems, including scale, borers, aphids, Japanese beetles, fireblight, cedar-apple rust, apple scab, frogeye leaf spot, canker, etc.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

Good wildlife value. 4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall & winter.

Suggested Uses

Often used as a specimen tree, or in groupings in the landscape.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA