Malus 'Crab Apples'
Malus or Crab Apple's are small deciduous trees that are prized for their early spring floral display.
The genus 'Malus' consists of about 55 species including fruiting orchard apples, crab apples and wild apples. Malus are part of Rosaceae family, meaning they are related to flowering roses. Today, I'm focusing on Crab Apples as they are currently in flower.
There are many varieties to choose from, with flowers ranging in colour and arrangement. Most Crab Apples feature pink flowers, although some flower white. The autumn foliage ranges from yellow to orange, some turning deep red tones. Crab Apples make excellent small feature tress and can be very tough once established, tolerating heat and poor soils.
A couple of varieties to consider -
Malus ioensis 'Plena' or The Bechtel Crab Apple - This is probably the most popular variety of Crab Apple, growing to about 6 meters in height with a rounded overall shape. The flower buds are soft pink opening, to blushed white double blooms.
Malus floribunda or Japanese Crab Apple - I really like this variety, it's slightly smaller growing at 5 meters compared to Plena, but still offers the rounded habit. Flowers are similar in colour but the petals are single in arrangement.
Malus x domestica 'Tom Mathews' - This is an even smaller growing Crab Apple, it's 3-meter height making it ideal for smaller gardens. The flowers are scarlet red in colour and compliment the red foliage highlights.
Crab Apples are a brilliant tree for small gardens with a spring display that's hard to match. As an extra bonus, their hardiness makes them easy to grow as well.