The dwarf crabapple tree can create a focal point in your front yard with colorful blossoms.
It is a tough and hardy plant that can thrive in multiple conditions and offer more benefits. No wonder this dwarf crab apple tree is a go-to choice among gardeners.
Take a closer look at this delightful tree and explore its characteristics, benefits, and tips for growing and caring for it!
What Are The Optimal Dwarf Crabapple Tree Varieties?
As for the most prevailing dwarf crabapple trees with critical features, we offer you three options: red sentinel, royalty, and atrosanguinea “gorgeous”.
Regardless, the tree will yield stunning blooms and eye-catching fruits for making jam.
Red Sentinel
Among all dwarf flowering crabapple trees, red sentinel stands out with terrific fruits for jam-making since they contain a lot of pectins.
With this type, you may also brew cider, and the edible fruits it produces have an appealing scarlet color.
Interestingly, before colorful autumn foliage and fruit arrive, these trees bloom in a magnificent rainbow of white.
- Best characteristic: glossy red apples
- The ideal time for planting: November through March
- Fruit season: autumn
- Location for active growth: full sun with partial shade
Atrosanguinea ‘Gorgeous’
Fresh atrosanguinea ‘Gorgeous’ fruits can be eaten off the tree but might have a sour taste.
But they taste markedly better when stewed in sweets or used to create jam and jelly.
The produced apples are beautiful red, with the leaves’ hues being orange and red throughout the autumn.
- Best characteristic: heavy fruiting type with showy flowers
- Planting season: November to March
- Fruit harvest: autumn
- Best growing location: grows well with full sun and part shade.
Royalty
These regular apples are frequently used to produce jam since they are both self-fertile and appealing.
This cultivar develops unusual dark pink leaves and scarlet fruits. Trees of the tough Royalty kind grow well in the UK.
- Best characteristic: beautiful dark pink crabapple blossoms (pink flowers).
- Planting season: November through March
- Fruit season: autumn
- Best growth location: Partial shade and full sun, like the above mentioned.
What Are Other Crabapple Tree Varieties?
Upright Form
Red Jewel and Adirondack are instances of crabapple trees with an upright form.
The mature height and width of “Adirondack” are 18 ft and 10 ft, respectively. It has a sturdy, upright structure with a dense canopy.
The plant can have the heaviest floral displays, leaving it in aromatic white blossoms in spring. Furthermore, this species has excellent resistance to disease.
Meanwhile, ‘Red Jewel’ can reach heights of 15 feet and a width of 12 feet and has white fragrant flowers. It is highly disease and bacterial resistant yet not as good as “Adirondack.”
Horizontal Form
The term “horizontal” or “spreading” shape describes wild crabapples that become wider than tall. The “Strawberry Parfait” reaches a width of 20 ft and a height of roughly 18 ft when mature.
Its large pink colorful flowers and spring scarlet leaves can gradually turn green. This species has superior disease resistance, like many plants in its family.
Rounded Form
The height and width of these trees with rounded shapes are often equal. Examples of this kind of crabapple are Royalty, Malus ‘Coralburst’, and Indian Summer.
Such trees grow thrivingly in USDA zones 4 through 8.
- Malus ‘Coralburst’ has a compact, rounded, and dense shape that develops to 12 – 15 feet wide and feet tall. In the spring, it bears double pink blooms.
- “Indian Summer” has rose-red blossoms and grows to a height of 18 ft by 18 ft.
- “Royalty” gives purple blooms and matures to a height of 15 ft by 15 ft. The most vulnerable variety, “Royalty,” is somewhat sensitive to apple scab, while others above generally have considerable disease resistance.
Weeping Form
A weeping crabapple tree known as Molten Lava with a height and width of about 12 ft.
The branches are covered in white spring flowers besides masses of red fruit. This one is good at disease-resistant ability.
What Is The Smallest Crabapple Tree?
Dwarf types like Malus ‘Coralburst’ and Sargentii “Tina” are the smallest crabapple trees among all others in their segments, perfect for gardens with narrow spaces.
We’ve just mentioned the Coralburst’s details above.
Regarding Sargentii, this tiny tree bursts forth in the spring with deep pink-red buds that can unfurl into aromatic, sweet-smelling white flowers, followed by small persistent red fruits in the fall.
Unlike wild blackberries, these two species are ideal for compact places since they have a small and incredibly decorative tree form.
How About Dwarf Crab Apple Tree Growing?
Given the right conditions, they will thrive and produce beautiful colors throughout the year.
A dwarf flowering crabapple tree can be planted in pots or directly into the ground.
Here are some notes worth taking for the cultivation:
- Compost for dwarf crabapple: The tree can survive most soil types, yet well-drained soil is optimal.
- Watering: In the first few years, particularly during dry seasons or dry spells, you must water crabapples frequently.
- Feeding: To give your crabapple more nutrition and later plant hardiness, mask some mulch around it and feed it with a general fertilizer.
- Rootstock: For dwarf crabapple species, M27 is excellent.
Of note, consider smaller patio trees with beautiful crabapple flowers as an alternative rather than the giant dwarf types in the limited space.
It’s also advisable if Hong Kong orchid trees are not a good pick for your garden.
What Are Common Diseases On Dwarf Crab Apple Tree?
Apple Canker
Any common crabapple varieties can manifest patches of dead bark due to apple canker.
Even when the entire influenced branches die, the illness may return to other tree sections and patio crabapple trees.
The problem’s major causes may be inadequate drainage and too-wet soil.
Blossom Wilt
Blossom wilt is another infectious fungus that kills crabapple tree blossoms as it leads to brown rot.
You can control this matter with regular trimming (annual pruning routine) and cutting diseased branches and dead branches.
Apple Scab
Apple scab is an airborne fungus that leaves scab scars on an either big or miniature crab apple tree.
The illness can be treated by doing regular pruning and removing any signs of disease as soon as they arise.
Wrapping Up
If you feel eager to add a unique vibe to your beloved garden, look no further than the dwarf crabapple tree!
These mighty ornamental trees pack a punch with their vibrant colors and subtle crabapple blooms, flawless for an ample garden space.
Beyond that, it is visually stunning and attracts birds and other wildlife to your outdoor space, spicing things up significantly.
Do not forget to share this post with other gardeners!
