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Flowering Crabapple

Few ornamental trees offer the variety of tree shapes, sizes, flower colors and ornamental fruit as flowering crabapples. There are over 35 species and 700 cultivated varieties of crabapples and have been a part of the home landscape for many years.

Both apple trees and crab apples have clustered, five-petaled blossoms with 15 to 20 yellow stamens in the center. They typically begin blooming before the leaves unfold and are later joined by the young greenery.

Blossoms often open from pink or red buds and change to paler shades after opening, creating a beautiful pink cloud lasting several weeks. Asian crab apple specimens are usually preferred for ornament because their fruits are more colorful and last into the winter providing food for over-wintering birds.

Crab apples are most popular of the spring-flowering trees in the North and Midwest where cold winters and heavy soil prevent other spring bloomers from performing well.

Tree height may be from 6' - 50' with most in the 15' to 25' range. The varieties vary from weeping, spreading, columnar, vase-shaped to pyramidal which allows many opportunities for use in landscapes.

In some cases, crabapples have developed a poor reputation as a result of disease problems (scab, mildew, and fire blight) as well as susceptibility to certain insect pests such as Japanese beetle. However, extensive breeding and evaluation projects have resulted in numerous selections that are resistant to these problems.

Crabapple Maintenance

Fertilizer Requirements

Crabapples planted in average fertility soils and provided moderate amounts of organic matter need little additional fertilizer the first year. If you note that annual growth is less than 5" - 6" or leaves are small or pale green, then supplemental fertilizer is required.

If fertilizer is suggested, apply 2 - 3 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of root zone area.

Example; a bagged fertilizer with an analysis of 20-5-10 (Nitrogen - Phosphorus - Potassium) apply 2 pounds nitrogen per 1,000 square feet which translates into 10 pounds of the 20-5-10 fertilizer spread beneath the trees over an area measuring 31.5' x 31.5' or its equivalent.

Pruning Crabapple Trees

Crabapples require little pruning other than to keep it in shape or from interfering with other landscape specimens. Rapidly growing shoots from branches, called water sprouts, rapidly growing shoots from roots or the base of the tree, called suckers, dead, diseased, damaged, and crossing branches should all be removed. Sometimes on dense growing crabapples, it's necessary to prune the center of the plant to allow additional sunlight and air movement.

Pruning should be completed before early June. By mid-June to early July, flower buds for the next season are beginning to form in most crabapples. Pruning after July will reduce floral display and fruiting for the following year.

Watering Requirements for Flowering Crabapples

If trees are well established after the first year, little additional watering is needed unless drought conditions prevail. In a drought situation water thoroughly and deeply every 2 - 3 weeks depending on the soil type and drought severity. Apply 2" - 6" of water at one time.

If crabapples are not watered during periods of drought they will not collapse and die. However, the trees will use most of their carbohydrates to merely exist and survive. As a result, the next year's floral and fruit display will likely be diminished.

Using Crabapple Trees as Cross Pollenizers for Apple Trees

Crabapple trees are good pollenizers because they have lots of blossoms and the pollen has a high protein count. Some crabapples, e.g. John Downie, bloom over a very long period.

A few apple varieties are self-fertile and will produce some apples without another apple tree nearby. Most varieties need another apple variety that blooms at the same time planted nearby. Some apple varieties are triploids i.e. have sterile pollen. These triploids need two different apple varieties, that bloom at the same time, planted nearby OR (only) one crabapple that blooms at the same time. Even the self-fertile apple varieties will produce more fruit if there is another different variety nearby so cross-pollination occurs.

How to grow crab apples

Crab apples are relatively easy to grow providing that you follow a few basic planting steps. Select a site in full sun, is well-drained. Soil can be either acid or alkaline and can be either loamy or clay.

Major species include:

• Siberian Crab Apples

• Japanese Flowering Crab Apple

• Tea Crab Apple

• Sargent Crab Apple

• Zumi Crab Apple
  

The following crabapples are recommended for street use: