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The recent warm temperatures, it seems, have caused
all of our spring-blooming plants to flower at once. Some of the most
noticeable bloomers right now are the crabapple, flowering dogwood, and
redbud. These trees are showstoppers, adding splashes of brilliant color to
the landscape. Although it is tempting to select a tree on the basis
of flower color alone, other characteristics — including the
plant’s height at maturity, growth habits, fruit characteristics,
summer and fall leaf color, bark, and, most important, disease resistance
— must be considered. Consider, too, how many seasons of interest a
tree offers. A good selection provides three or four. The crabapples are one of the largest groups of
flowering trees, comprising more than 500 cultivated varieties. As a group,
they offer four seasons of interest, as well as a variety of tree shapes,
sizes, flowers, and fruit colors. Although we like to think that flower and
fruit color are the most important criteria in selecting a crabapple, by
far the most important is disease resistance. Crabapples are susceptible to
many diseases. In Illinois, the three most important are apple scab, cedar
apple rust, and fire blight. Planting resistant varieties is the best means
of controlling these diseases. Flowers, which may be white or various shades of pink
or red, are single, semidouble, or double. They may last a couple of days
or as long as two weeks. Flowering time ranges from early April through
mid-May. Because the crabapple’s fruit lasts longer than
its blossoms, fruit display is a more important consideration. The fruit
generally matures in late summer, although on some cultivars it persists
into the winter; it may be eaten by such birds as cedar waxwings, robins,
or finches, or it may freeze and shrivel. Color ranges from bright red to
shades of purple, yellow, and orange. Fruits range from pea-sized to 2
inches in diameter. (A fruit of more than 2 inches is called an apple;
large fruit can be a nuisance.) Look for varieties with small fruit. Here are some other characteristics to consider: • Foliage color in the summer and fall. • Tree height, which varies by species from 8 to
40 feet tall, although most are in the 15- to 25-foot range • Tree form: rounded, vase-shaped, columnar, or
weeping There are many noteworthy crabapple cultivars, but one
of my favorites is Prairiefire, introduced in 1982 by Dr. Daniel Dayton of
the University of Illinois. The flower and fruit show of this cultivar is
outstanding: Bright-red flowers are followed by small 3/8-inch red-purple
fruit that is enjoyed by many birds; the leaves are dark green tinged with
reddish purple. The red-brown bark, which accents the foliage, is a good
winter characteristic. This oval-to-rounded tree grows 20 feet tall, with a
spread of 15 feet. Prairiefire is resistant to apple scab, cedar apple
rust, fire blight, and powdery mildew. The best site location for a crabapple tree is
well-drained soil in a sunny location. The trees are best planted in the
spring. For more information on crabapple selection, read
“Recommended Crabapples for Illinois Landscapes.” This
University of Illinois fact sheet can be found at
www.extension.uiuc.edu/IPLANT/plant_select/trees/Selecting_Crabapples.pdf.
“Crabapples for the Home Landscape,” another good fact sheet,
is available at the Web site of the Morton Arboretum:
www.mortonarb.org/res/CLINIC_Sel_CrabapppleHomeLandscape.pdf.
Jennifer Fishburn is a horticulture educator with the
University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit. Contact her at
fishburn@uiuc.edu.
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2008.
