Malus x
Crabapple, Apple
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 15-25' tall and 8-20' wide, but great variation among the available species and cultivars. Medium to fast growth rate. Relatively short lifespan, 50-75 years.
Native Range
Native to North America, Europe and Asia. Most species are not native to the United States, but about 200 types are grown in North American nurseries.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flower color variable by the chosen cultivar, commonly white to pink, carmine to red to rose or purple. Fruits are classified as pomes, generally round and fleshy. Colors range from red to yellow to orange to purple or green. If fruit diameter is typically 2" or less it is considered a crabapple. If diameter is typically over 2" it is considered an apple.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves are simple, alternate, ovate, and finely toothed around the margin. Some varieties have lobed leaves. Many types have a yellowish to orange fall color. Bark is typically shiny gray-brown, scaly on older trunks.
Culture and Care
Most crabapples are quite adaptable but do best in a well-drained, moist, acidic, heavy loam. Plant in full sun for best flowers and fruits. Tolerates clay. Avoid low, wet areas. Zone 4-7(8). Pruning, if it is needed, should be done before mid- June, since that is when the following year's flower buds begin to form, from which will arise the next year's fruit crop. Asiatic forms are much more resistant to insect and diseases than North American native forms. Potential serious problems include fire blight, cedar-apple rust, apple scab, canker, scale, borers, aphids and Japanese beetles. Frog-eye leaf spot may occur.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Good wildlife value. 4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall & winter. Quite a long list of potential insect and disease problems. Many crabapples tend to send up numerous sucker sprouts from the base. These must be cut at ground level as they appear. There are over 700 cultivars of crabapples. The unique branching of most cultivars will offer an interesting winter appearance.
Suggested Uses
Often used as a specimen tree, or in groupings in the landscape. Some may be used as hedges or screens. Many have a unique architectural growth habit, offering picturesque winter interest.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Malus x 'AK-98' // Tangy Green™ Urban™ Columnar Apple
Tree. Fruits are true, edible apples, not classified as crabapples, since fruits are over 2" diameter (normal-sized apples). This hybrid tree gets 8-12' tall, but only 2-3' wide. Forms an upright, columnar habit. Prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Avoid shaded, low, wet areas. Pink, 3/4" flowers bloom in April. Fruits are crisp, juicy, tart, tangy, abundant, green, produced first year planted, ripening late summer into fall. Plant 2 different varieties for good fruit set. Zones 4-6. A good choice for containers or for the small garden or orchard where space is limited & edible fruits are desired. Several, regular, scheduled insect and disease control sprays w/ fruit tree-approved products will be needed for best edible fruit quality.
BT001363Malus x 'Cascole' // White Cascade® Crabapple
Tree. A graceful overall appearance, with a pendulous growth habit, to 10-15' tall and wide. Deep pink flower buds open to single, white flowers, 1.25" across. Small, pea-sized fruits, 3/8" diameter, lemon yellow. Weeping habit. When in bloom, the plant is totally covered in flowers from top to bottom, giving the appearance of a cascading waterfall, thus the name. Shows good resistance to most diseases. Good resistance to fireblight. Excellent resistance to Japanese beetles and powdery mildew diseases.
BT004430 - BT004440 - BT004450Malus x 'Coralcole' // Coralburst® Crabapple
Tree. A refined, dwarf type forming a compact, dense, rounded, bushy head, up to 10-15' tall and wide. Coral pink flower buds open to double rose pink flowers. Fruits are relatively few in number, 0.5" diameter, bronze to reddish orange. Leaves are small & dark green. Often grafted up onto a standard, or sometimes just grown naturally as a shrub. Excellent disease resistance overall. May have occasional problems with apple scab fungus. Very ornamental. Makes a good specimen tree for the garden or patio. Developed in Gardenview Horticultural Park in Strongsville, Ohio from an open-pollinated seedling of Malus sieboldii. An octaploid, and one of only a few polyploid crabapples.
BT001884 - BT003980Malus x 'Donald Wyman' // Donald Wyman Crabapple
Tree. Grows to 20' tall and 25' wide. Red flower buds expand to pink, then open as fragrant, white flowers, 1.75" across. Glossy, bright red fruits, 3/8-1/2" diameter, abundant, and persistent into winter. Lustrous, dark green foliage. Definitely one of the best of all the crabapples, consistently one of the highest rated and praised, with excellent cold hardiness (Zones 3-7), disease resistance, and long-lasting ornamental fruits late into the winter, perhaps into Feb/March. Essentially without problems. A 1950 spontaneous seedling from the Arnold Arboretum; named in 1970, after their late horticulturist, Dr. Donald Wyman. This crabapple is one of author and plantsman, Dr. Michael Dirr's "Overall Favorite Crabapples".
BT005030 - BT005040 - BT005050 - BT005060 - BT005070Malus x 'Guinzam' // Guinevere® Crabapple
Tree. Rounded growth habit. Gets 6-10' tall and 10-15' wide. May look more like an 8' rounded bush. Mauve/reddish flower buds open to white flowers. Bright red fruits, 3/8" diameter. Fruits may be sparse some years. Glossy, dark green leaves show burgundy overtones or reddish-purplish tints. Leaves turn orange in the fall. No pruning needed. Good disease resistance. From Lake County Nursery in Perry, Ohio. Part of the Round Table Series of dwarf crabapples, developed by James Zampini. Good for small gardens and tight corners in the landscape.
BT004480Malus x 'Hargozam' // Harvest Gold® Crabapple
Tree. A vigorous grower, with an upright, somewhat columnar to vase-shaped habit. Grows to 20-30' tall and 15-20' wide. Single flowers, red to pink in bud, opening white. Leaves are already full-sized when flowering begins, somewhat hiding the blooms. Golden-yellow fruits are abundant, 3/5" diameter, remaining colorful into December and persisting until spring. Good for street plantings, small gardens, along a garden walk, or as a boundary. One of the best crabapples, with excellent resistance to most diseases, including rust, mildew, leaf spot, and also resists Japanese beetles. From Lake County Nursery in Perry, Ohio.
BT007470 - BT007480 - BT007490Malus x 'Hozam' // Holiday Gold™ Crabapple
Tree. Flower buds are pink, opening to single, fragrant, white flowers. Blooms reliably every year. Small fruits are bright yellow-gold, often blushed with rose, in clusters, persisting late, then enjoyed by songbirds. Habit is open-rounded, 15-18' tall and 12-14' wide. Leaves are dark green. From Lake County Nursery in Perry, Ohio. Very disease-resistant. Makes a good specimen or accent plant.
BT001089Malus x 'Indian Magic' // Indian Magic Crabapple
Tree. Rounded habit. Grows to 15-20' tall and wide. Red flower buds open rose red to deep pink showy flowers, 1.5" diameter. Small, abundant, glossy red fruits, changing to orange, less than 0.5" diameter. Fruits persist long into winter. Slightly susceptible to scab. Excellent cold hardiness (Zones 3-7), resistance to rust and powdery mildew. Red new leaves, changing to dark green, then orange-red in the fall. Fruits may persist into March. A 1969 introduction by Bob Simpson.
-- not currently in our collection --Malus x 'JFS-KW5' // Royal Raindrops® Crabapple
Tree. This is a vigorous, upright-spreading tree, 20' tall and 15' wide. The tree has deep purple, cutleaf foliage all spring and summer, then turns bronze, orange-red, or orange-purple in the fall. Highly resistant to diseases. Originated as an open-pollinated seedling of Malus transitoria Golden Raindrops from J.F. Schmidt & Son Company in Boring, Oregon in 2006. Single, magenta-pink to pinkish-red flowers. Fruits are bright red, 1/4', persisting into winter. Adaptable. Tolerates heat, drought, and clay. Strong branches.
BT008599Malus x 'Lollizam' // Lollipop® Crabapple
Tree. Flowers start out with pink buds, then open to white, and are abundant. Single flowers. Fruits are small, golden-yellow in color. Develops into a compact, dwarf, rounded to broad-rounded habit, usually about 8' by 8' in size. Forms a tight, compact head of dense branches with many fine-textured, small green leaves. Usually very symmetrical and globe-shaped, maintaining a formal appearance throughout the year. From Lake County Nursery in Perry, Ohio. Very disease-resistant. Makes a good specimen or accent plant. Perfect for patios, formal gardens and courtyards.
-- not currently in our collection --Malus x 'Louisa' // Louisa Crabapple
Tree. Glossy, dark green foliage. Grows 10-15' tall and wide. Umbrella-shaped, weeping habit. An excellent form. Rosy-red flower buds, opening to true pink flowers. Some petals both pink and white. Fruits are yellow to amber with rose blush, 3/8" diameter, persistent. Resistant to Japanese beetle. Good disease resistance.
BT006065Malus x 'Prairifire' // Prairifire Crabapple
Tree. Grows to 20' tall and wide. Upright habit in youth becomes more rounded with age. Reddish-green foliage. Red flower buds open reliably every year to very showy, crimson-pink to dark purplish red flowers that hold their color well. Dark red to reddish-purple fruits, 3/8-1/2" diameter, somewhat cone-shaped, persistent. Excellent disease resistance. Bark is glossy, dark reddish-brown, with prominent lenticels. Fall color is apricot-orange to red. This crabapple is one of author and plantsman, Dr. Michael Dirr's "Overall Favorite Crabapples". The U.S. National Arboretum also calls it "one of the best red-leaved crabs."
BT003970Malus x 'Red Jade' // Red Jade Crabapple
Tree. Grows to 15' tall and 15-25' wide with a graceful, pendulous form. Deep pink flower buds open to single, white, 1.6" diameter flowers. Flowers are alternate bearing, with a heavy crop every other year. Good for larger estates, parks and arboreta. Glossy, oval, red fruits, 1/2" diameter, enjoyed by songbirds. Excellent resistance to Japanese beetles, scab and rust. Susceptible to fireblight. Graft incompatibilities are sometimes a problem. Originated as an open-pollinated, chance seedling of Malus floribunda 'Exzellenz Thiel' at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1935. Introduced in 1953. Zone 3. Very cold-hardy, to -40°F.
BT004356cMalus x 'Schmidtcutleaf' // Golden Raindrops® Crabapple
Tree. Grows to 20' tall and 15' wide. Growth habit is initially upright, then horizontally spreading with slender branches, forming an upright-oval to upright vase-shaped tree. Pink flower buds open to delicate, star-like, white flowers. Abundant, tiny, golden-yellow to amber fruits, 1/4" diameter. Deeply cut leaves with about 5 slender lobes give it a fine-textured appearance. Fall color can be a mix of green, yellow, red & purple. Excellent resistance to apple scab fungus, cedar-apple rust, powdery mildew, and Japanese Beetles. Susceptible to fireblight. A J. Frank Schmidt introduction. Zones 4-8.
BT007150Malus x 'Selkirk' // Selkirk Crabapple
Tree. Habit is open-upright & nearly vase-shaped. Grows to 25' tall and wide, medium growth rate. Fragrant, rose red to deep purple-pink flowers, 1.5" diameter, can be single to semi-double, heavy bloom may be in alternate years or annually, and "inconsistent." An outstanding tree when in full bloom. Very glossy, purplish-red to bright red fruits, 3/4" diameter. Yellowish to orange fall color. Somewhat susceptible to leaf spot. Zones 3-7. A Morden introduction, 1962. Red new leaves change to reddish-green to green-bronze, then dark green. Japanese beetles can be a problem. Excellent resistance to scab and rust diseases. Good in cottage gardens.
BT006060Malus x 'Snowdrift' // Snowdrift Crabapple
Tree. This is a very popular crabapple, outstanding in bloom. Grows to 15-20' tall and wide, with a dense, upright-spreading to rounded, uniform, symmetric crown, giving it a more formal appearance. Foliage is glossy, dark green. Pink flower buds open to an abundance of single, white flowers, each 1.25" diameter. Blooms reliably every year. Small, orange-red fruits, 3/8" diameter, persisting into winter. Excellent fruit retention. Severely susceptible to fireblight. Some scab problems. Excellent mildew resistance. Does well in various weather conditions. Introduced by Cole Nursery in Circleville, Ohio, in 1965.
BT006050Malus x 'Sutyzam' // Sugar Tyme® Crabapple
Tree. A vigorous grower, to 18' tall, 15' wide. Upright-spreading to oval or rounded shape. Pink flower buds, opening to an abundance of fragrant, single, white flowers. Some flowers have petals that are white inside and pink outside (underneath). Blooms reliably every year. Persistent, red fruits, 1/2" in size, are abundant. Dark green foliage. Excellent resistance to apple scab, powdery mildew and leaf spot diseases, as well as good resistance to Japanese beetles.
BT001027Malus x 'UEB 3358-3' // Golden Treat™ Urban™ Columnar Apple
Tree. Fruits are true, edible apples, not classified as crabapples, since fruits are over 2" diameter (normal-sized apples). This hybrid tree gets 8-12' tall, but only 2-3' wide, forming an upright, columnar habit. Prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Pink, 3/4" flowers bloom in April. Fruits are greenish-gold and tart, ripening in the fall and getting sweeter w/ delayed harvest. Plant 2 different varieties for good fruit set. Zones 4-6. A good choice for containers or for the small garden or orchard where space is limited & edible fruits are desired. Several, regular, scheduled insect and disease control sprays w/ fruit tree-approved products will be needed for best edible fruit quality.
BT001365Malus x 'UEB 3449-1' // Tasty Red™ Urban™ Columnar Apple
Tree. Fruits are true, edible apples, not classified as crabapples, since fruits are over 2" diameter (normal-sized apples). This hybrid tree gets 8-12' tall, but only 1.5-2' wide. Forms an upright, columnar habit. Prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Avoid shaded, low, wet areas. Pink, 3/4" flowers bloom in April. Fruits are bright red, produced beginning the first year planted, ripening in the fall and getting sweeter w/ delayed harvest. Plant 2 different varieties for good fruit set. Zones 4-6. A good choice for containers or for the small garden or orchard where space is limited & edible fruits are desired. Several, regular, scheduled insect and disease control sprays w/ fruit tree-approved products will be needed for best edible fruit quality.
BT001364Malus x 'UEB 3727-4' // Blushing Delight™ Urban™ Columnar Apple
Tree. Fruits are true, edible apples, not classified as crabapples, since fruits are over 2" diameter (normal-sized apples). This hybrid tree gets 8-12' tall, but only 2-3' wide. Forms an upright, columnar habit. Prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun. Avoid shaded, low, wet areas. Pink, 3/4" flowers bloom in April. Fruits are green w/ red blush, produced first year planted, ripening in late summer and getting sweeter w/ delayed harvest. Plant 2 different varieties for good fruit set. Zones 4-6. A good choice for containers or for the small garden or orchard where space is limited & edible fruits are desired. Several, regular, scheduled insect and disease control sprays w/ fruit tree-approved products will be needed for best edible fruit quality.
BT001366Malus x 'Velvetcole' // Velvet Pillar™ Crabapple
Tree. Nearly columnar in early years. Grows into a tightly-upright plant, upright-columnar to oval, with ascending branches, 20' tall and 14' wide. Glossy, red-purple foliage turns deep red color in fall. Single, pink flowers are sparse. Maroon-red fruits, 3/8-1/2" diameter, semi-persistent, but also sparse. Excellent resistance to rust and powdery mildew, but highly susceptible to apple scab fungus. Could be used as an upright hedge or as a single specimen. Is sold as both a multi-stemmed, shrubby plant, as well as a more upright, single-stemmed tree form. May be trimmed to any height when young, and kept as a hedge.
-- not currently in our collection --Malus x 'Weepcanzam' // Weeping Candied Apple® Crabapple
Tree. Grows to 10-15' tall and wide, branches are arching, then pendulous. New foliage is red, changing to green. Red flower buds open to reddish-pink, fading to whitish-pink, single flowers, 1.75" diameter. Bright, oxblood-red to cherry-red fruits, 3/8-5/8" diameter, persistent. Excellent resistance to apple scab, rust and powdery mildew. Poor resistance to Japanese beetle. A Lake County Nursery introduction from Perry, Ohio. Attracts birds and butterflies. Crabapples good for jelly making. Can be pruned and trained into a contorted form, if desired.
BT004540