- Author: Erin Mahaney
One of the most anticipated springtime displays in my yard is a flowering crabapple (Malus floribunda), also known as a Japanese crabapple. We had a beautiful flowering crabapple in our yard when I was growing up and I knew that I wanted to plant one in my own garden someday. Even though it is a bit outsized for my small yard, I'm glad I did!
Ornamental flowering crabapples have beautiful springtime flowers. There are many different selections of trees, but the flower colors generally range from white to pink to red. The blossoms, which can be single, semidouble, or double depending on the selection, typically emerge before the leaves. My tree begins flowering with bright red buds that open to pale pink and then mature to white. Spectacular! I love that the tree has a variety of colors at nearly all times when it is blooming.
The Japanese flowering crabapple is a broad, densely-branched tree that grows to about 15-25 feet tall and wide (and perhaps even wider). It needs space to spread. The tree needs very little pruning, but it is common, however, to see it pruned quite hard into a small, flat-topped, or umbrella-shaped form. Perhaps people want the flower display, but don't have space for one in its natural state. When I planted my tree 20 years ago, the estimated size range was 15-18 feet wide; but, as noted above, today's literature indicates the mature size is substantially larger! While I prefer a more natural form, I nonetheless prune and shape the tree occasionally to fit the yard.
Many crabapple trees are purely ornamental, which means that they don't bear edible fruit. Other crabapple trees are grown for fruit that used for making jelly, pickling, or cider. My tree bears tiny (less than ½” diameter) inedible yellow fruit with a red blush. Supposedly the birds and wildlife like the fruit, but I haven't noticed an abundance of wildlife when the tree is fruiting. (There seems to be plenty to eat in the neighborhood!) Crabapple trees should not be planted near a patio where fruit drop could make a mess.
The Japanese flowering crabapple bears dark green, oval leaves in the summer. The fall color of crabapple selections isn't outstanding, but some types have yellow or orange leaves.
The tree grows best in well-drained soil in full sun, but it can tolerate a wide range of soils. It has moderate disease resistance. According to some sources, established trees have some drought tolerance, but based on other sources, drought tolerance may be affected by soil type.
A reliable, gorgeous bloomer, the flowering crabapple brings joy to the garden each spring.