Selecting a flowering crabapple

[wysiwyg]

We want to plant a flowering tree in the front yard that doesn't get much taller than 30 feet and also provides fruit to wildlife. Flowering crabapple seems fit the bill.

The ones that looked the best at the store were "flame" and "callaway". I looked both up online, and only found information on callaway, which is described as the most resistant to blight. Can anyone shed insight on which variety is better, or if I should look for something else? TIA

 

[Kate Butler]

flowering crabapple

Do you mean feeding the birds or feeding the quadrupeds? If it's for the birds, almost any sort that fruits is good.

If you want the apples to drop for the animals, you should go with a large-fruited variety like Dolgo or Almata (both are extremely hardy - Zone 3). Almata is a really large-fruited sort (for a crabapple) that has bright red flesh and darker red skin. Both are excellent for jam and jelly and Almata makes a tart, red applesauce.

Dolgo tends to hold its fruit into the winter and Almata drops theirs on the ground in the fall pretty much all at once (over 3 or 4 weeks).

 

[wysiwyg]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not so much concerned with the type or quality of fruit as I am the quality of the tree itself. We actually had bought a bradford pear on impulse, only to find out later that it's an inferior tree in many respects - luckily we were able to return it. Do the crabapples vary much in terms of quality of branch structure and disease resistance?

 

[rebelman]

I'm not an expert, but I look for good genetics when buying nursery trees. U shaped crotches as opposed to vees.

 

[Kate Butler]

crabapple selection

Crabapples (like many other ornamental trees) are available in many shapes and sizes. You must consider the desired mature height of the tree (dwarf or standard). Most crabs canopy nicely - making an attractive rounded shape.

If I were you, I would go to a large nursery, take notes on what they have available and go to this site to check 'em out.

http://www.applejournal.com/useall01.htm

Or, check the site out and call around to your apple tree dealers.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The biggest issue with crabs is Apple Scab resistance!
Over time, cultivars tend to loose some of their resistance, it's best to look at newer ones.
You don't want a tree that looks great in the spring, and then looses all it's leaves by mid July. And you don't want the perpetual, and expensive, problem of having to spray 2 to 4 times a year.
First find a place that sells quality stock, then look for resistance, then find one that has good structure, and finally, don't plant it too deep! Find the flare, not the root graft, and plant it at that level. The flare is about 3 to 11" below the graft union.
In fact, if you're not buying bare root, before you buy the tree, scrape away the soil on top of the ball or pot, until you get down to the flare. If the flare is more than 2 or 3" down, pass on it.
If you are buying bare root, good for you, you can see the roots.
Sometimes, the potted trees you buy in the spring are bare root trees they just shoved in a pot, and marked up the price.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Planting depth is a major cause of basil sprouting.

 

[turnkey4099]

Planting depth is a major cause of basil sprouting.

Yes indeedy. I planted a flowering crab in the middle of the lawn. around 15 years ago. Finally convinced my wife that the chainsaw needed to be fed last year. There were two problems with it.

1. I planted too deeply and fought suckers for years.
2. MESS! When it dropped the fruit the ground was carpeted. Like walking on hard big marbles. They were still there in part for the first couple mowings in the spring.

I would plant another crab or two but only non-fruiting and also be very careful of planting depth.

Harry K

 

[gumneck]

Rootstock is an even more important sucker factor. I've found that Bud 9 is about the least suckering rootstock I've used.

 

[Elmore]

A good alternative to the seemingly, ever suckering Crab might be Crataegus viridis 'Winter King'. Winter King hawthorn provides a great winter interest and is relatively trouble free.

http://www.hort.net/profile/ros/craviwk/

<img src="http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/images/crvirwk12.jpg"width=450>

 

[wysiwyg]

That hawthorne looks nice but I'm at the northern extent of its range.

How does the Aristocrat flowering pear compare to the crabapples in terms of overall quality?

 

[Elmore]

That hawthorne looks nice but I'm at the northern extent of its range.

How does the Aristocrat flowering pear compare to the crabapples in terms of overall quality?

I would prefer a Crab.

<img src="http://www.lonvig.dk/lucca-crap.jpg">

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Not to mention te Hawthorne has Rust so bad it needs the same spray progam as the crab.

 

[wysiwyg]

Are there any flowering trees that don't have major disadvantages that grow in Zone 4b???

 

[Elmore]

Magnolia x soulangiana and Eastern Redbud are a couple.
http://mdc.mo.gov/forest/urban/urbantre/1sm.html

 

[Kate Butler]

4b trees

I prefer Japanese tree lilac (syringa reticulata) - multiple stems (if desired) or train to single trunk. HUGE, very late flower clusters, nice leaf shape, very attractive seed pod clusters, great flower scent, flowers are cream color (won't clash with any other plantings), spotted bark as tree matures, total overall height maxes at 35' - what's not to like?

They're very easy to grow from seed and will bloom (here, I'm zone 3) the third or 4th year after sprouting. First year seedlings get to about a foot, 2nd year to 3', 3rd 4'-5'. They're quick.

The only disadvantage I find is that they are very prolific seeders. They pull easily the first year, but after that they must be dug out. Planting in a lawn or with thick mulch solves this problem.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

How about a tree hydrangea?

 

[wysiwyg]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm not too interested in anything that might become invasive, got enough of those types of trees as it is.

This turned me off of all the flowering pears: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/champaign/homeowners/050223.html

I took a trip to a nursery yesterday and they recommended Malus baccata Jackii. It's the size I want, nice form, about as disease resistant as crabapples can get, and has small, but not excessive, fruit.

 

[Urban Forester]

Fire blight is not nearly as big a concern as scab, as previously posted. 4B should not be a problem.
Try this link:

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/6-23-1995/appscab.html