Flowering crabapple trees (Malus spp.) Are ornamental trees, associated with apple trees, but bearing smaller fruits. Crabapple trees are valued for their stunning spring blooms, tree type, ornamental fruit and colorful autumn foliage. Many crabapple varieties are hardy, drought-tolerant, disease resistant, adaptable to various soil types, and also grow to a mature height of less than 20 feet, suitable for small spaces. Since crabapple trees vary in their growth habits, they develop various shapes or forms, providing a basis for their categorization.
Upright Form
Upright crabapple trees are taller than they are wide, such as “Adirondack” (Malus “Adirondack”) and “Red Jewel” (Malus “Red Jewel”). Both varieties grow well in U.S. Department of Agricultural plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. “Adirondack” includes a strong vertical form and dense canopy, reaching a mature height of 18 feet and width of 10 feet. One of many crabapple varieties, “Adirondack” creates one of the heaviest blossom displays, covering itself with fragrant white flowers in spring. “Adirondack” is also exceptionally disease resistant. “Red Jewel” offers white blossoms and an oval or pyramidal shape, growing up to 15 feet high and 12 feet wide. It is also disease resistant, but is much less resistant to fire blight compared to “Adirondack.”
Horizontal Form
Crabapple trees which grow wider than tall are believed to have a “horizontal” or “propagating” form. “Strawberry Parfait” (Malus “Strawberry Parfait”) can reach a mature height of 18 feet and a width of 20 feet. It flowers with large pink flowers and red leaves emerge in spring which later turn green. “Strawberry Parfait” is highly disease resistant and grows well in USDA zones 4 through 8.
Rounded Form
Crabapple trees using a rounded form are usually as tall as they are wide. “Coralburst” (Malus “Coralburst”), “Indian Summer” (Malus “Indian Summer”) and “Royalty” (Malus “Royalty”) all have rounded forms and thrive in USDA zones 4 through 8. “Coralburst” displays pink double blooms in spring and grows at a compact, compact, curved contour, reaching 12 to 15 feet tall and wide at maturity. “Indian Summer” offers rose red flowers and matures to 18 feet by 18 feet, while “Royalty” displays purple flowers and reaches 15 feet by 15 feet at maturity. . Although complete these crabapple trees have great disease resistance, they’re somewhat susceptible to apple scab, with “Royalty” the very vulnerable.
Dwarf Form
Crabapple tree varieties which come in dwarf forms can also be acceptable for patio trees, growing in containers. Sargent (Malus sargentii), “Jewelberry” (Malus “Jewelberry”) and Sargent “Tina” (Malus sargentii “Tina”) are dwarf crabapple varieties that thrive in USDA zones 4 through 8. Sargent and “Jewelberry” are flat or propagating dwarf crabapple trees, growing up to 8 feet high and 12 feet wide. Sargent “Tina” grows to a compact rounded form of 5 feet high and wide. All 3 crabapple varieties show showy white blooms in spring. Sargent and Sargent “Tina” have exceptional disease resistance, while “Jewelberry” is a bit more susceptible to apple scab and fire blight.
Weeping Form
Molten Lava (Malus “Molazam”) is a hardy, weeping crabapple tree, growing well in USDA zones 4 through 8. It reaches about 12 feet high and wide and its own weeping branches are smothered in white early-spring blossoms, followed by abundant red fruit. Molten Lava is exceptionally disease resistant.