The ornamental value of crab apples

If your garden is not very large and you still want to plant a tree, then a Crabapple is definitely recommended. But a Crabapple tree is also very suitable for streets, parks or even a roof terrace. Thanks to its abundant spring blooms and small, decorative fruits, this tree attracts attention both in spring and in autumn.

Strengths of a Crabapple Tree

In April-May, a crab apple/malus provides a wow effect for the first time. The bright white, light pink or sometimes purple-pink blossoms add a lot of atmosphere to the spring garden. The exuberant blossom often smells wonderful and attracts countless bees. Before the tree is in full bloom, it is already a picture, because the flowers have a different color when in bud than when open. The second explosion of color follows in the autumn. Then the crown is full of small purple-red, (orange)red or (orange)yellow ornamental apples that with some cultivars remain hanging on the branches well into the winter. Birds love the apples so this tree automatically brings more life to your garden! There are even more advantages. Due to its limited size, a Crabapple tree does not take up much room; in general it does not grow taller than 5-6 m. In addition, its open crown provides pleasant, but not deep, shade. The choice of Malus Crabapple varieties is large. If you want to buy a Crabapple, pay attention to the shape of the crown. Do you want a round, oval or pyramidal crown or rather a weeping form or a tree that grows into a broad fan shape? It's all possible!

Colorful ornamental apples

When choosing a Crabapple tree, not only the blossom but also the color of the fruit plays a role. The pure white blossom of Malus baccata 'Street Parade' often creates a festive picture as early as the end of April. This relatively small tree produces shiny, purple-red decorative apples in the autumn, about 1.5 cm in size. Malus SUGAR TYME flowers a week or two later. White, fragrant flowers appear from the numerous pale pink buds, covering almost the entire crown. In autumn the branches are full of red ornamental apples. They are quite small (over 1 cm in diameter), but their enormous number provides a great color effect. Do you prefer yellow apples? Then Malus toringoides 'Brouwers Beauty' is a good choice. First the purple-pink flower buds appear, followed by the rich, light pink blossom with its lovely fresh-sweet fragrance. The (orange) yellow ornamental apples color already in late summer. They are no larger than 1 cm and remain until November.

Buy crab apple tree

Our crab apple trees are grown in the soil and are available from November through April. We deliver crab apple trees throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. View the complete assortment of crab apple trees in our webshop.

Crab apple as espalier- or roof-formed tree

Most Malus Crabapple varieties are cultivated both as a standard tree and as a multi-stem tree. Some are also available as an espalier or roof apple and that offers extra possibilities, for example, to create more privacy. Or plant four ornamental roof apples in a square as a natural sunshade on the terrace; you can do that with Malus 'Rudolph' or with Malus 'Evereste'. The former produces a purple-pink blossom and sprouts brown-red, after which the leaves turn dark green. The orange-yellow ornamental apples unfortunately do not remain on the tree for long. Malus 'Evereste' is a winner in this respect. Its orange-red ornamental apples can be enjoyed well into the winter, only with snow or severe frost the birds come to feast on them. Besides the decorative apples and the pure white spring blossoms, 'Evereste' has another advantage: the fruits turn yellow-orange in the autumn and remain on the tree for a long time. This Crabapple variety is also very attractive as an espalier (available both low branching and on a stem) and as a hedge. Malus 'Evereste' is not affected by scab or mildew, so it is also a very healthy tree. This is one of the most popular varieties of crab apple, and for good reason!
Another good crab apple espalier is Malus 'Red Sentinel'. This is cultivated as an espalier on a stem. It is beautiful for dressing up a high, blind extension or for hiding a building from view. In spring this decorative apple/malus attracts attention because of its light purple buds and white blossom, and also because of the young leaves that turn bronze. In autumn and winter Malus 'Red Sentinel' looks festive because of its purple-red apples. They remain on the tree until January.

Van den Berk on trees: Malus 'Evereste'

Malus 'Evereste' is a small tree with an initially pyramidal crown that later widens. The branches are spreading, later bending slightly. The trunk and twigs are bare and dark brown. The slightly lobed and dark green leaves persist for a long time in the autumn and then turn yellow-orange. The almost 6 cm large flowers grow in clusters of 4 to 8 together. View more Crabapple / Malus videos on our Youtube channel

Practical tips for crab apple

Crab apples are strong, easy trees that are resistant to frost and wind. The only thing they dislike is sea wind. Crabapples thrive in almost any type of soil, as long as it is well-drained and not too dry or poor. A sunny spot is best - that is when the blossom is at its most exuberant and the crab apple colors most beautifully - but semi-shade is also possible. Most crab apple varieties tolerate paving, so you can safely plant it in a recess in the patio. Want a decorative apple on your roof terrace? No problem. Then make sure you have a heavy, sufficiently large container which drains adequately, so that excess rainwater can drain away quickly. Once planted, a decorative apple requires little care. How should you prune a crab apple, you may ask. That is very easy, because for a standard or multi-stemmed apple you hardly need pruning shears. Are there intersecting branches, i.e. branches that rub against each other? Then cut off the weakest or worst branch completely, preferably in the summer. Always remove damaged and dead branches as well. To keep a crab apple espalier or crab apple roof tree in shape, prune it in March. Leave the stem branches undisturbed but cut back the side branches considerably.

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