Growing the Lousia Crabapple

Size and Appearance

The Lousia Crabapple is a small weeping tree whose form and size is partly in your control. It might typically make a small tree around 10 feet tall, with a similar spread. It doesn’t have a natural central stem, so it is best to stake it to the height you want, using a strong permanent stake. Left un-staked it will form a broad cascading bush, with stems even spreading along the ground, which can be ideal for planting on a bank, or at the top of a wall. The long stems are smooth, glossy, and chestnut-brown when young, maturing to a rougher gray-brown. The oval leaves have serrated edges and they taper to a short point. They are deep green and glossy, so always attractive, and in fall they turn light yellow, flushed with orange, making a delicate but eye-catching display.

Flowers develop even on young trees, and they come in spring, just before the leaves. The early blooming is on bare branches, with the leaves uncurling as the flowers mature and the petals drop. Clusters of buds develop all along the stems, and the buds are deep reddish-pink, on short stems. The flowers are about 1½ inches across, with 5 spreading petals of a beautiful light pink. The contrast against the darker buds and the light-colored flowers is very beautiful. Through summer, hidden among the leaves, the flowers transform into clusters of hanging fruit. They become conspicuous a little before the leaves color, turning lemon-yellow and gold, flushed with deep-pink cheeks. They are small – about ½ inch across – but abundant, making a lovely display that lasts into winter, before birds eventually take the fruit. It can also be harvested and made into delicious jelly.

Using the Lousia Crabapple in Your Garden

With its smaller size, the Lousia Crabapple is ideal for smaller gardens and urban homes. It’s a wonderful way to add variety and interest to your garden, and it can be grown in several different ways. Use a strong, permanent stake to create a central stem with cascading branches, as tall as you want to go. Plant it on a lawn, in a shrub bed, or among the bushes around your home. Use it in an Asian-style garden in cooler zones as a substitute for Japanese flowering cherries. Leave it un-staked to flow down a bank or spill over a large wall. It can also be grown as an espalier, spread out on a sunny wall, where it will take up almost no room at all. It could even be grown for many years as a specimen in a large pot or planter.

Hardiness

The Lousia Crabapple tree is very cold-resistant, growing and blooming well in zone 4. It is also reliable across a large part of the country, growing into zone 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For the best results, plant your Lousia Crabapple tree in full sun. It grows well in almost any kind of soil, as long as it isn’t wet and boggy. Richer, moist but well-drained soils give the best results, but this tree is very easy to grow, and it doesn’t need special attention. Once established it is resistant to ordinary periods of summer drought.

Maintenance and Pruning

This tree is one of the most disease-resistant varieties of crabapple, and it doesn’t suffer from the leaf spots and scabs that bother so many others. It is generally free of pests, making it a great choice for a low-maintenance garden. Like other crabapple trees, it doesn’t need special or detailed pruning. When staking, use loose ties to avoid cutting into the stems. When branches reach the ground they can be trimmed back as needed. If you want to trim or shape your tree, do it in summer, during periods of dry weather, to reduce the risk of spreading diseases.

History and Origin of the Lousia Crabapple

Crabapples are related to eating apples, and they are all members of the group Malus. Most are hybrids developed over years in various ways, so we rarely know their exact parentage. The variety called Louisa was a unique seedling introduced by Polly Hill in 1987. Polly Hill was a well-known figure in the American gardening world. She lived to be 100 years old, and it was only when she was 50, at her family farm in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, that she began what would become a world-famous arboretum. With no formal training, she planted seeds from around the world, and selected unique forms to give names to. Today her property is the Polly Hill Arboretum. She named this crabapple after her daughter, Louisa Spotswood.

Buying the Lousia Crabapple at the Tree Center

Widely considered to be one of the best weeping crabapple trees, for both its beauty and disease resistance, you will love growing the Lousia Crabapple in your garden. Unique trees like this are often hard to source, but why grow something everyone has when you can have a superior and more unique variety in your garden? Order now, though, as we only have a few trees available, and they will sell out fast.

Growing the Japanese Flowering Crabapple

Size and Appearance

The Japanese Flowering Crabapple is a deciduous tree with a broad spreading crown. It grows 15 to 20 feet tall when mature, with a spread over 20 feet, that can even reach 30 feet. Don’t underestimate its final size when planting, and don’t plant underneath overhead wires, or closer than 15 feet to buildings, roads or property lines. It has a central trunk that branches low down into numerous spreading limbs, which is why a mature tree is often wider than it is tall. The smooth, brown bark becomes more rugged and textured with age, forming flaking plates in different shades of brown and gray. The leaves are oval with a serrated edge, about 3 inches long, and dark green. In fall they turn yellow and red.

Flower buds form all along the branches, and this is an amazingly prolific tree for the profusion of its flowers – ‘each branch a garland’ as one expert put it. Flowering usually begins in April or May, depending on your growing zone, and a tree of the Japanese Flowering Crabapple in bloom is one of the great joys of spring. Clusters of up to 7 buds form on short spurs along the branches, and when spring comes these buds become an intense dark pink color. The flowers open to show a clear, light pink interior, and each bloom is over an inch across. The contrast between the dark buds and the pale open flowers is striking, charming and very beautiful. As the flowers age they turn paler, so when the petals fall they are almost pure white. The flowers are followed by clusters of tiny apples on long stems, like cherries. These are pale green over summer, turning light yellow, and then, by fall, they have matured to a dark red. The profusion of fruits makes a charming sight, and they can be harvested for delicious jellies that will be aromatic and bright pink. Birds usually take them by early winter.

Using the Japanese Flowering Crabapple in Your Garden

This is a tree for larger spaces, so always allow enough room for its maturity. Place it at the back of large shrub beds, on a lawn as a specimen, at the edges of woodlands, and in open spaces. A pair flanking an entrance gateway would be a wonderful sight in spring.

Hardiness

Hardy in zone 4, this is an excellent tree for cooler zones, flowering well all the way into zone 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant your Japanese Flowering Crabapple where it will be in full sun. It grows easily in most soils that are not very poor and sandy, and it needs well-drained ground. It has good resistance to summer drought in cooler areas, but benefits from a deep soaking from time to time, especially when young.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although some leaf diseases like mildew and scab may be seen, these are not serious or life-threatening. This tree has some resistance to fire blight. Unlike apples grown for fruit, no pruning is needed. We recommend removing a few inner branches while it is young, to develop an open crown with good branch structure. If you do need to trim your tree, do it during dry weather in summer.

History and Origin of the Japanese Flowering Crabapple

This tree is not found growing wild – it was found in gardens in Japan in the 19th century and first described and introduced perhaps around 1850 by Phillip Von Siebold, a German doctor and botanist who collected plants in Japan, as well as spreading Western medical practices there. The Japanese Flowering Crabapple is generally believed to be a hybrid tree – a cross between two Asian crabapple species, Malus baccata and Malus sieboldii, also called Malus toringo.

Buying the Japanese Flowering Crabapple at the Tree Center

The Japanese Flowering Crabapple is a true classic, and a wonderful highlight of spring. You might not be able to enjoy Japanese cherry trees where you live, but you can certainly enjoy the equivalent beauty of this crabapple. Although a classic, it is becoming increasingly difficult to source good trees, so order now – our supply is limited and we may not see them again for a long time.

Growing the Callaway Crabapple

Size and Appearance

The Callaway Crabapple is a deciduous tree that grows to as much as 25 feet tall and will in time develop a broad crown equally wide. It has a central trunk, branching low-down into a multi-stem crown with a rounded, graceful profile. Although not a weeping tree, it does develop a tendency for the branches to droop gracefully, giving a lovely look to this handsome tree. The leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, oval with a pointed tip and serrated edges. They have a semi-glossy surface and a mid-green color. Fall coloring is usually yellow, with perhaps an occasional orange or red tone.

Flowering takes place in spring, along with the first leaves, with clusters of blooms on the stems and branches, covering the tree with a profusion of 1½ inch pure white blossoms – a gorgeous sight. This variety has been bred to bloom well in warm zones, because it requires only a few short periods of cool nights in winter to mature the flower buds. It will of course also bloom well in colder zones, flowering early. After blooming clusters of small, cherry-sized red fruits develop, making a lovely show in late summer and through the fall. This variety is self-pollinating, so it will fruit well if grown alone. It also pollinates almost all other varieties of apples, so it will stimulate fruit production on your eating apples as well, if you grow them. The fruit makes excellent jellies and preserves, and the left-overs will be gratefully taken by birds as winter food.

Using the Callaway Crabapple in Your Garden

This tree is an ideal lawn specimen for a small or medium-sized garden, or planted on a larger lawn as a specimen or in an open cluster of three trees. Grow it at the back of large shrub beds, along a fence, as an avenue along a driveway, or, frankly, anywhere you can find to plant this lovely tree in your garden.

Hardiness

The Callaway Crabapple will grow all the way from zone 4 through zone 8, performing well everywhere.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for the Callaway Crabapple, although it will take a little shade when smaller, until it grows up into the light. Crabapples are tough, and it will grow in most types of soil, as long as they are well-drained and not constantly wet. Good soil preparation will get your tree off to a flying start, and regular watering when young will mean it is more drought resistant when older.

Maintenance and Pruning

Experts agree that the Callaway Crabapple is the most disease-resistant variety for the South, and it certainly has high resistance to fireblight, a deadly disease of apple trees, and to powdery mildew, which damages the foliage in summer, making a tree unsightly. With its good resistance, this is one tree that will remain attractive through summer. Any pests are rarely major problems, and we recommend neem oil or soap sprays to control pests like aphids, mites or scale.

Crabapples don’t need the complex pruning of fruiting apples, and they are best left to grow almost naturally. Focus on developing a good open structure for the main branches, removing smaller branches that keep the center of the tree crowded. Shorten back smaller branches a little to encourage the early development of the short side stems called ‘spurs’ that carry the flowers and fruit. That’s it. Pruning should be done during dry weather, either in late winter or in the summer in cooler zones.

History and Origin of the Callaway Crabapple

Fred Galle was a renowned plant expert and breeder in the middle years of the last century. He was the horticultural director at Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia from 1953 to 1979. During that time he was president of the American Horticultural Society, the Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboreta, and of other several specialized plant societies. He received the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award of the American Horticultural Society in recognition of his contributions to plants and gardening. Anxious to develop a crabapple for Southern gardens, he carried out a breeding program at the Gardens, and released the variety, ‘Callaway’ in 1954. It is also sometimes called ‘Ida Cason’.

Buying the Callaway Crabapple at the Tree Center

If you live in the South, the Callaway Crabapple is for you. Even if you live in cooler parts of the country, this beautiful tree is one of the best selections for white blooms and attractive fruit, as well as having good disease resistance. We worked hard to source these trees, but our supply is limited – order now.

Growing the Sugar Tyme Crab Apple

Size and Appearance

The Sugar Tyme Crab Apple is a medium-sized deciduous tree that will reach as much as 20 feet in height, with a spread almost as great. When choosing a planting spot, allow for that potential height and spread, avoiding overhead wires and planting at least 10 feet from any walls, fences or property lines. It has one or a few main trunks, with many branches spreading outwards and upwards. The bark is mottled gray-brown, and attractive in all seasons. The vigorous tree grows freely and rapidly, and it remains healthy and attractive all season. The leaves are oval, with small serrations along their edges, and they are 4 inches long, of a rich green color. In fall they turn attractive bronze-yellow.

In mid-spring the flower buds swell on the bare branches. As the new leaves appear, the clusters of buds, now pale pink, open to reveal large, fragrant blooms that are 1-inch across and pure white. Blooming is profuse and very showy, making a gorgeous display in your garden. After the petals drop the flowers develop into clusters of small crab apples, that by fall are ½ inch across, on long stalks. By October they are scarlet red, darkening to maroon through winter, and by early spring – when they are often still hanging on the tree – they are dark claret red. Their fading display is lost beneath the profusion of spring blooms and new leaves. The fruit is edible, and it can be used to make delicious jellies. It is also popular with migratory birds.

Using the Sugar Tyme Crab Apple in Your Garden

Grow this beautiful tree as a delightful lawn specimen, or at the back of a bed of shrubs and flowers. Plant it near a window, where the perfume of the blooms can be appreciated, and the bright red fruit will lift the winter blues. Grow an avenue along a boundary or driveway, spacing trees at least 15 feet apart for the right effect.

Hardiness

The Sugar Tyme Crab Apple is completely hardy in zone 4, and it grows well in all zones except for zone 9, where the winters are too warm for good flower development. It is a great choice for areas with harsh weather where other spring-flowering trees are not reliable, and equally reliable in the hot south-east, where it is known to be particularly suited to hot and humid summers in zone 8.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For the best results, plant the Sugar Tyme Crab Apple in full sun, although it will tolerate a few hours of shade in a day. It will grow well in any well-drained soil, including alkaline soils, so most garden conditions are perfectly suitable for it. Placing mulch over the roots of a young tree will be beneficial in its development and good growth. Avoid letting grass grow over the root-zone for at least the first five years.

Maintenance and Pruning

Unlike fruiting apples, crab apple trees need no fancy pruning to flower and fruit well. Just plant it and let it grow. You can remove a few branches in summer to develop a more open central area, but avoid cutting large branches, which can leave scars. This tree is very resistant to all the diseases that bother many apple trees, such as apple scab, leaf spot, powdery mildew and fire blight. The leaves will not turn yellow and fall during summer to any significant degree.

Unlike other apple trees, crab apples need no other tree to produce a big crop, and they also act as pollinators for most fruiting apple trees, giving you big crops on trees you may already have, that are carrying few or no fruits, despite flowering well.

History and Origin of the Sugar Tyme Crab Apple

There are many different species and varieties of crab apple trees, and one with an interesting background is the zumi crabapple, Malus x zumi. This tree is believed to be a hybrid between Malus toringo, a small Japanese crabapple, and Malus baccata var. mandschurica, the eastern form of the Siberian crabapple. It was found in Japan and brought to America in 1892 by the famous botanist and collector Charles Sprague Sargent. There is a smaller variety of that plant with profuse fruiting, introduced from Japan in 1905, that is today called ‘Calocarpa’.

A professor of Landscape Architecture, Milton Baron had a home in Haslett, Michigan, and in 1965 he noticed a seedling tree growing beneath a mature tree of ‘Calocarpa’ he had in his garden. He showed it to James Zampini, who owned Lake County Nursery, in Perry, Ohio, and they agreed it was unique, something special, and certainly a valuable garden tree. It was patented in 1989 by Mr. Zampini, with the name ‘Sutyzam’. That patent has now expired, but the tree continues to be grown and made available as the Sugar Tyme Crab Apple.

Buying the Sugar Tyme Crab Apple at The Tree Center

This outstanding crab apple tree won the Michigan Grower’s Choice Award in 1999. It is also among the ‘Top 12 Best crab apples’ put together by the horticulture professor and plant breeder Michael Dirr. Choose only the best for your own garden, and order now, because this is one of our top-selling crab apples, and our stock is soon gone.

Particularly in colder zones, crabapple trees take the place of flowering cherry trees in the spring display of blossoms. Hardy and reliable, these lovely trees have beautiful flowers, but most are smaller and less impressive than the cherry blossoms further south. But some are successful rivals. The Brandywine Crabapple Tree has large, fully-double blooms of a rich rose pink that are as beautiful as any on a cherry blossom, and that are recognized by everyone as the most impressive spring blooms available in cold areas. In many ways this tree is even better than a flowering cherry, because it also produces large crab apples that can easily be turned into delicious jelly, making this both a beautiful and useful tree perfect for every garden.

Growing Brandywine Crabapple Trees

The Brandywine Crabapple Tree grows into a medium-sized tree reaching 20 feet in time. With a broad, rounded crown, mature trees can grow to 25 feet across, so allow enough room for maturity when planting. The large oval leaves alone put on more of a color display than many other trees, beginning in spring when they emerge a rich bronzy-red, with orange tones. They mature into dark green, but they keep a reddish tint all through the summer. Then in fall they turn to rich tones, varying from reddish-orange to deep purple, making a lovely show as colder weather arrives. Even in winter the silvery young twigs continue to bring interest, while the garden sleeps.

Of course, it is the flowers that are the headline act, and what flowers they are. In April or May, all along the branches they cluster, so that the tree rivals any flowering cherry. Among the largest bloom of any crabapple, they begin as pink-red buds in dense bunches, then open into fully-double blooms, each one like a miniature rose, and only revealing their heart of bright-yellow stamens when they fully open at maturity. Not satisfied with just looking great, they also release a heady perfume, making this bloom-time a garden highlight. After the petals fall, we see clusters of tiny fruits developing, which mature to be well over an inch across, with a handsome chartreuse, yellow-green, skin. Sadly, they don’t hang on the tree into winter, so when they mature it is time for harvest and to make a delicious and fragrant crabapple jelly from them. This is easy, needing no pectin to set, and you can savor its pink color and delicious taste all winter, as you wait for the blooms to return next spring.

Grow a Brandywine Crabapple Tree as a beautiful specimen on a lawn, where its full glory can be shown off. Plant a pair on either side of a gate or entrance or create an avenue along a drive. Plant them in the corners of your property, and as background to large shrub beds. Along the south-facing side of a woodland it will add beauty and color, while still blending into the natural scene. Wherever you plant it, you will love having this glorious tree in your garden, both for its beauty and its usefulness in the kitchen. 

Plant the Brandywine Crabapple Tree in full sun, anywhere from zone 4 to zone 8. Gardeners in zones 4 and 5 will find this tree especially useful, as many other spring-flowering trees do not grow well in those colder areas. There are reports of this tree also growing well in zone 9 – unlike most other crabapples – and it is certainly worth trying, so you too can enjoy its beauty. It grows well in almost any garden soil, preferring richer, moist soils, but with some drought tolerance once it is established. Very alkaline soils (pH over 7.5), and wet, flooded soils, are not so suitable. Unlike apple trees with large, edible fruit, crabapple trees require no fancy pruning, and they are best left to develop naturally. If you do need to prune, do this in winter or during dry summer weather, as spring pruning leaves fresh cuts that are susceptible to attack from the fire blight bacteria, which is a potential threat, although this tree has good resistance to that, and to powdery mildew. Other diseases are much less significant, and while insect pests can sometimes attack any crabapple tree, they are normally not serious problems.

History and Origins of Brandywine Crabapple Trees

The Brandywine Crabapple Tree was created by Bob Simpson, of Simpson Nursery in Vincennes, Indiana. Founded in 1851, the family nursery had been a pioneer apple orchard, before Bob turned it into a tree nursery, with crabapples as a specialty. He bred other well-known crabs, like ‘Indian Summer’, but Brandywine, officially called ‘Branzam’ was his greatest creation. He crossed two older varieties together and found this tree among the seedlings he grew from that cross. The varieties were an old French tree from 1928 called Malus x purpurea ‘Lemoinei’ and Malus ‘Klehm’s Improved’, another older variety. The tree was released in 1979, by Lake County Nursery, Madison, Ohio, under the trademark name of Brandywine.

Our trees are produced by joining stem pieces of the original form to sturdy roots of seedling crabapples, and they are exactly like the original tree. Cheaper trees, often grown from seed, cannot possibly match the quality of these plants. Crabapple trees are always popular, and this beauty is in very high demand. Our supply will soon run out, so order now and enjoy the best there is.

Growing Profusion Flowering Crabapple Trees

The Profusion Crab Apple lives up to its name – every spring it is covered in a profusion of violet-red blossoms, making a spectacular display and really getting the growing seasons off to a powerful start. The outside of the flower petals is pure violet, and the inside reddish-pink, creating a very rich color palette you will love. By late summer the bright red fruits will be noticeable, hanging in clusters from the branches. These are small, just ½ inch across, and they too are in profusion. As the leaves fall they become more conspicuous, making a lovely show through fall and the early months of winter.

Pests and Diseases

The Profusion Crab Apple is remarkable for more than its flowers and fruit. There are several diseases that bother crab apple trees, causing yellowing and early leaf drop. Profusion is resistant to all these diseases, and that means a more attractive tree throughout the seasons, and a stronger tree that also resists pests more effectively. If you want healthy plants in your garden – and who doesn’t? – then this is a top-pick among the many crab apple varieties that are available.

Uses on Your Property

The Profusion Crab Apple forms a broad, spreading but upright tree, growing rapidly to 15 feet tall and ultimately reaching as much as 30 feet in ideal conditions. It has a similar spread, and old trees are often a little wider than they are tall. This is a good size for medium-sized gardens, as specimens on a lawn. In a larger garden they can be planted along a boundary, or as a backdrop to other shrubs in the garden. It needs no special training or pruning to develop a good structure, although you can trim it a little to keep it slightly smaller, or to raise the trunk higher. Always prune in winter or during dry periods in summer, and never in spring, as fresh cuts in that season can allow disease to enter.

Uses in the Kitchen

Besides the double benefit of colorful flowers and fruit, you can also harvest the crab apples. You will not like them raw – they are edible but very sour – but once you turn them into jelly will love it. With a wonderful aroma and a beautiful pink color, the jelly will be coveted at the breakfast table, and remind you of the bounty of flowers and fruit to come the following year. If you don’t harvest all the fruit the birds will take it as the weather turns harsher, so the benefit of your tree will not be lost.

Planting and Initial Care

As well as being winter-hardy, the Profusion Crab Apple is easy to grow. It thrives in most soils, although it will grow best and biggest in rich, well-drained slightly acid soil. In practice it is very adaptable, even to compacted soil and urban conditions, so it will grow well in almost any garden. Plant it in full sun for the most flowers, but it will also tolerate a little shade. A spring mulch with compost or rotted manures over the root area, but clear of the trunk, will retain moisture and feed your tree too – it needs nothing more. Water a newly planted tree regularly, but established trees are tolerant of average summer drought conditions.

History and Origins of the Profusion Crabapple Tree

Crab apples are clearly related to eating apples, but they do not come from the same source plants. There are numerous species of apple trees, and many of them have small, sour fruits. These grew across Europe and through central Asia into China. Many were cultivated, and when brought together they often naturally hybridized, or this was done by breeders.

It is hard to know the precise make-up of most of the varieties of crab apples. What we do know about the variety ‘Profusion’ is that it was created some time before 1938 by Simon Gottfried Albert Doorenbos, who was the director of the Hague Parks Department in the Netherlands, from 1927 to 1957. He produced this tree by crossing several species of crab apple trees, and he called his hybrids moerlandsii, although today botanists are not sure what to make of this name.

His tree was given the name ‘Profusion’ in 1948, and it was distributed around the world. Our trees derive directly from that original plant, and they are produced by grafting stem pieces of the tree onto apple roots developed for sturdy growth. These roots give vigor and strength to the trees. We have a limited quantity of this ever-popular disease resistant tree, but the demand is high, so order now while we still have our top-quality stock available for sale.

Spring brings the glory of its rose red flowers, clustered on the bare stems. As these fade, they are replaced by red-tinted leaves, which later turn deep green, before ending the year in a fall display of orange and red tones. In late summer the clusters of hanging red fruits will be seen, becoming brighter in fall, and hanging on the trees after the leaves drop, to carry color through into the winter months.

Growing Centurion Crabapples

The Centurion Crab Apple is a small to medium-sized tree, reaching no more than 25 feet tall, and spreading in time to about 20 feet across. Its branches form an attractive crown, strongly branched and shaped like an inverted pyramid. The bark is mottled in shades of brown, seen most effectively in winter. If you live in colder areas crab apples as the ‘go to’ for flowering trees to bring spring alive. In warmer areas they are a wonderful compliment to other flowering trees like Japanese flowering cherry, which bloom usually a little earlier, so that crab apples continue the display into May.

Hardiness

In cold areas such as zone 4, it is especially important to choose hardy varieties, and the Centurion Crab Apple has very hardy winter buds, and it will still bloom reliably after severe winter cold. As well as blooms, there are other good reasons to grow the Centurion Crab Apple. Unlike many other flowering trees, crab apples give double interest, because the fruits are almost as beautiful as the flowers. The fruits vary in size and color, and the Centurion Crab Apple has beautiful rosy-red apples that are about the size of cherries, carried in hanging clusters all along the branches.

Uses in the Kitchen

These relatives of eating apples are too sour to eat raw, but they do make very tasty jellies, that are an amazing shade of pink, from the skin of the fruits. If you like preserving, and like to eat food from your garden, then crab apple jelly is your friend. As well, the profuse bloom of crab apples will pollinate almost any type of eating apple, so that you can grow one crab apple tree and pollinate a whole collection of eating apples, without having to worry about precise matching of varieties.

Planting and Initial Care

Plant the Centurion Crab Apple in a sunny or lightly-shade spot, as a specimen in a lawn, in a row along a driveway or property line, or as a backdrop behind flowering shrubs. You may want to keep it away from a driveway or patio, because of the falling fruit in fall and winter. It will grow well in almost any type of soil that is not wet, from sand to clay, and from acid to alkaline.

Although apple trees can be bothered by some pests and diseases, the Centurion Crab Apple is a tough, reliable plant that is not usually threatened by serious problems. A good way to reduce leaf diseases is to rake up and destroy the leaves in fall, as these can carry diseases from one season into the next one. Once established, plants are moderately drought tolerant, but watering during long periods of drought is recommended.

History and Origins of the Centurion® Crab Apple

Crab apples are a complex group of apples species, separate from the main species which gave us eating apples, which is Malus pumila, also called Malus domestica. These ancient trees grew wild across Europe, Central Asia, and into China, and gardeners have bred them for centuries, so that the exact parentage of modern varieties is hard to establish. Bob Simpson was a plant breeder who ran Simpson’s Nursery in Vincennes, Idaho. He was a keep breeder of crab apples, and he introduced the Centurion Crab Apple in 1978. He called it Centurion, because it stood strong and upright, but when it was introduced into nursery production by Lake Country Nursery in Perry, Ohio, they named it ‘Centzam’, although that name was never patented. The name Centurion became its registered trademark.

Our Centurion Crab Apple Trees are grown from selected stem pieces from correctly identified plants of this tree. These are attached to the roots of special apple plants bred precisely to grow into sturdy, vigorous plants – and that is what we have available. Top-quality crab apple varieties are always in high demand, so our stock will soon be gone. Order now to avoid disappointment.

Growing Prairie Fire Crabapple Trees

Experts consider the Prairie Fire Crab Apple to be among the most outstanding varieties you can grow – and there are many varieties to choose from. Why? Because it combines all the most desirable features of crab apples, with strong resistance to disease. Unlike old varieties you may have grown, the foliage stays healthy all summer, and the fruit is clean and bright. You can further help keep your tree disease-free by raking up and destroying the leaves in fall. As well, if you need to prune your tree, do it in winter or summer, and avoid cutting branches in spring, when disease is lurking, ready to strike through fresh cuts.

Size and Appearance

The Prairie Fire Crab Apple grows into a broad, upright tree 15 feet tall, eventually reaching perhaps 20 feet. It is a wide as it is tall, so for a smaller garden this is an ideal shade tree, or it can be grown as a lawn specimen in any garden. The fun begins in spring, when the dense clusters of flower buds begin to swell, quickly coloring deep pink as the first warm days arrive. By early May the buds are opening into pinky-red flowers of a deep, rich color that will bring your garden alive.

As the flowers begin to fade you will see the first leaves emerging, and these are purple-red, adding color to the garden as the flowers fade. During summer these turn deep green, with red veins, holding our attention. Then in fall the leaves turn powerful shades of orange to end an exciting season. By fall the hanging clusters of fruit will become apparent, and these are a rich purple-red color.

Uses in the Kitchen

As an added bonus, you can harvest the apples and turn them into the most delicious jelly, of a purple-pink color that will brighten the breakfast table all winter long. If you don’t take advantage of this free bounty, then they will hang decoratively on the bare branches well into winter, before the birds turn to them for treats during the coldest days. In nature, nothing goes to waste.

Planting and Initial Care

Plant the Prairie Fire Crab Apple in a sunny or lightly shaded location, allowing plenty of room for its final width and height. It will grow in most garden soils, but it does best in rich, slightly acidic soils, so add plenty of compost or other organic material to the soil when you plant. Water regularly for the first season or two, but once established this tree will shrug off normal summer dry periods. If you see the leaves looking dull and drooping, soak the roots thoroughly from a slow-running hose.

History and Origins of the Prairie Fire Crabapple

Crab apples are relatives of the edible apple, Malus pumila. There are numerous species of these small, sour apples, growing from Europe to China, and for centuries they have been hybridized and bred to develop ornamental forms with larger, colorful flowers and decorative fruits. Diseases have always been a problem with apples of all kinds, including crab apples, and plant breeders have worked to develop more resistant forms, while also looking for beauty.

The variety ‘Prairiefire’ was developed by Dr. Daniel Dayton, who worked in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Illinois. He created many seedlings, looking for new plants that were disease resistant and beautiful, and all the experts agree that he certainly found it with this tree. He introduced ‘Prairiefire’ to growers in 1982, and it has quickly become a favorite of everyone who grows it.

Our plants are produced from stem pieces of plants directly descended from his original seedling, and they are 100% genetically identical to it. The stem pieces are attached to specially-bred apple roots, to form a grafted tree – the stem and the root fuse together to form a single plant. These vigorous plants are in high demand, so our stock will not last long. Order now while we still have trees of this spectacular plant.

In April or May, depending on where you live, your tree will burst into bloom, covered in a brilliant display of deep-pink flowers. The large flowers are 1½ inches across, and they are carried in clusters of many flowers, all along the bare branches. As a prelude to blooming you will see the buds swell, and turn dark burgundy, before opening wide to show their colors. The flowers are dark rose when they first open, and they gradually age to light pink, becoming paler and paler until they are almost white. All stages may be on the tree at once, creating a color festival. This is only the beginning of the seasonal interest of the Robinson Crab Apple.

Next, as the flowers fade, the leaf clusters begin to push out. The young leaves are bold purple, bringing a new color phase, and gradually, as the new shoots expand, the leaves turn deep green, with red veins. In fall they put on a last display, turning bright orange in most years. In late summer you will see the first signs of the bright red fruits, looking like cherries, but really being small, sour apples. These become more noticeable and showy as the leaves fall, and once the tree is bare they become very prominent, and hang well into the winter, adding yet more color and interest to the garden. In time they will provide food for hungry birds during the cold weather.

Growing Robinson Crabapple Trees

The Robinson Crab Apple makes the perfect specimen tree on a lawn, or among smaller shrubs. It casts a light shade when in leaf, so it becomes the perfect tree to sit under in summer, if you have no room for a larger tree. It is not, however, recommended for planting in or beside a patio, as the fruits can fall and stain stonework or wood. It also makes a wonderful background tree in the corners of a garden, adding interest before the rest of the garden is fully in bloom, and continuing late into fall and winter.

Planting and Initial Care

Grow the Robinson Crab Apple in full sun or partial shade. It will grow well in most ordinary garden soils, just so long as they are not constantly wet. Add plenty of organic material to sandy or clay soils, and then mulch each spring with compost or something similar. Pruning is not usually necessary – the tree is most picturesque left to develop naturally into a rounded crown. If you do prune, do this in winter or during dry periods in summer. Do not prune in spring, as this may open the tree to disease infection through fresh cuts. Rake up and destroy the leaves in fall, as this too helps control leaf diseases. This tree is known for its resistance to the common apple diseases, so it normally remains healthy with no special attention at all.

Uses in the Kitchen

Many people like to harvest their garden for the kitchen, and the Robinson Crab Apple makes this easy. The ripe fruits can be picked and turned into aromatic and delicious jelly, which will be a beautiful pink color from the skins. This beautiful jam keeps for months and you can enjoy it for breakfast in the depths of winter, bringing back memories of your tree in bloom, and thoughts of the coming season.

History and Origins of the Robinson Crabapple Tree

All crab apple trees are related to eating apples, but they come from different species, of which there are many, growing all the way from Europe through Central Asia and into China. Many hybrids between different species have been created over many years, and it is often difficult or impossible to identify the origins of the trees we grow in our gardens.

The variety ‘Robinson’ originated at an old family nursery in Indianapolis, Indiana. The nursery was founded by Benjamin Albertson in 1812. Cyrus May Hobbs, who took over in 1879 gave the nursery his name – C.M. Hobbs Inc. The nursery still operates today, and ‘Robinson’ was created there in the 1980s. It soon became popular and desirable for its combination of great colors and disease resistance.

Our trees are produced by grafting stem pieces from correctly-identified plants of ‘Robinson’ onto special apple roots developed to give vigor and hardiness to the resulting trees. This tree is sought after by gardeners, and rarely available, so we know our stock will soon be gone. Order now while we still have some plants to ship you.

Today there is no need to look at a plain green crab apple tree in your garden all summer, because the Summer Wonder Crab Apple is the first and only variety developed to have colored leaves that hold their color all summer long. The leaves are a rich purple color that doesn’t fade or turn green. The new shoots produce leaves that are stunning tones of warm purple, and that stay a rich purple all summer and into fall. Some other crab apples with red or purple spring leaves do hold some color in cooler zones, but none stay purple in zones 7 and 8 the way the Summer Wonder Crab Apple does. Since it is also highly-resistant to foliage diseases, those purple leaves will stay looking good all season.

Growing Summer Wonder Crab Apple Trees

The Summer Wonder Crab Apple grows two feet a year into an upright tree with spreading branches, ultimately becoming between 15 and 25 feet tall, depending on local conditions of climate, soil, and sunlight. Its rounded crown will be a similar distance across. It has a strong trunk, dividing into multiple branches that create a broad crown, and cast shade onto the ground below. The bark on young stem is deep brown with purple tints, and the older bark on the trunk and main branches is grey-brown, splitting and dividing into rugged strips and plates, giving the tree a mature and natural appearance. Cut into a stem and you will see that even the tissues inside are purple.

The flowers of the Summer Wonder Crab Apple develop in clusters of 4 to 6 on the stems, and open in spring when the warmer days arrive. As the buds swell they become red-purple in color, and open to show beautiful flowers with pink-purple petals. Each flower is about one inch across, and when the flowers are gone tiny apples develop, eventually becoming deep-purple fruits a bit more than ½ an inch across. These become especially conspicuous and beautiful after the leaves drop in fall, and they hang on the tree into winter, until eventually they become cold-weather food for birds. That is, unless you harvest them and make delicious crab apple jelly, which will be a deep pink-purple color, filled with the fragrance of apples. When raw the fruits are sour, but when cooked and sweetened the flavor is wonderful.

Planting Location

Plant your Summer Wonder Crab Apple in full sun to light shade, from zone 4 to zone 8. In warm zones your tree will flower in April, and in cooler areas blooming happens in May. This tree is easily grown, and the average growth is about 2 feet a year, so it soon develops into a handsome specimen. A big plus with this tree is its resistance to all the major diseases of apple trees, from apple scab and powdery mildew to fireblight. This means that your tree will remain healthy, even if you live in an area where these diseases are common.

History and Origins of the Summer Wonder Flowering Crab Apple

The Summer Wonder Flowering Crab Apple has an interesting history. It was derived from a very old Russian apple variety called ‘Antonovka’. This is a green, sour apple used for cooking, and once widely grown in Russia and Poland. It is extremely winter hardy, and in the United States it is often used for the roots of grafted apple trees, to make them better able to survive freezing ground and low soil temperatures.

These trees are grown from seed in nurseries across the country, and in 1998, in a nursery in Baileyton, Alabama, Kenneth Gill noticed an odd-looking seedling. He was attracted by its striking purple leaves, and once he grew it to flowering size he discovered its beautiful pink-purple flowers and purple fruit too. He named this tree ‘Summer Wonder’, patented it in 2006, and this is the plant we are selling today. It is probably the result of a chance cross between Antonovka and another, unknown apple growing nearby, in the place which produced the seed Kenneth Gill grew for rootstocks.

Our trees are grown by specialists under license, who take pieces of the tree and attach it to hardy roots, creating a grafted tree. This unique tree is only today becoming recognized for its ability to bring color into your garden all summer, and we know that keen gardeners will quickly take our limited stock. So order now, and plant the first crab apple tree that is truly a four-season tree, because we will soon have no more of these trees left.