Crabapples . With No Apologies Jeff Iles SE O R Y C AN N An oldie but a goodie, red-flowered ‘Liset’ is still a popular crabapple. ne of my favorite older horticulture others described in the book, including Malus books is a signed copy of Ornamental floribunda, ‘Liset’, ‘Profusion’, and ‘Red Jade’, OCrabapples by Arie F. den Boer. Pub­ have prevailed and would be totally appropriate lished in 1959 by the American Association of in today’s landscapes. Nurserymen, this little manual was perhaps What I really enjoy about the book, though, the first successful attempt at popularizing the is the author’s unapologetic and matter­of­fact various species, varieties, and cultivars of crab­ acceptance of crabapples, warts and all. For apples (those taxa in the genus Malus bearing example, he begins the chapter on insect and fruits 2 inches in diameter or smaller). I like the disease pests with this blunt statement: “It book because it provides a unique glimpse back should not be considered strange or disturbing to an era when selections like ‘Aldenhamensis’, that apples and crabapples are visited once in a ‘Almey’, and ‘Dorothea’ ruled the nursery sales while by some unwelcome guest.” You have to yards. Those cultivars are rarely seen today but admire Mr. den Boer’s understated admission Crabapples 3 that certain members of the genus Malus do large, non­persistent fruit. Unfortunately, a suf­ have pest issues, but the reality is few landscape ficiently large population of ‘Hopa’, ‘Radiant’, plants are problem­free. and other less­than­stellar cultivars still can Yet for some reason crabapples are subjected be found in present day landscapes, reinforcing to much disrespect by certain detractors, even the misperception that all crabapples defoliate those who readily accept the premise that most in July and double as fast­food emporiums for landscape plants aren’t perfect. Crabapple nay­ every yellow jacket wasp in the neighborhood. sayers are happy to share their tales of crabapple But surely we—whether plant scientists or woe, particularly when they involve suscepti­ backyard gardeners—should understand the bility to foliar diseases (“My Uncle Vito over in folly of making blanket statements about a Dubuque had a crabapple in his front yard that group of plants with upwards of 900 named would defoliate completely every July.”) or fruit selections. After all, a family (in the non­ litter (“You think that’s bad … my Aunt Betty taxonomic sense) that large is bound to produce had one that would drop loads of rotting, messy a few bad apples, if you’ll excuse the pun. fruit all over her patio every summer.”) These repeated knocks against crabapples often trace Why Crabapples Still Rule to plantings of once­popular, older crabapple The fact is that crabapples remain atop the list cultivars such as ‘Hopa’ and ‘Radiant’. Origi­ of small ornamental trees used in residential nally embraced for their head­turning spring and commercial landscapes in USDA hardi­ flower extravaganzas, these cultivars are now ness zones 4 through 7 for many very good sadly, and maybe a bit unfairly, remembered reasons. Crabapples offer an avalanche of fra­ only for debilitating disease problems and overly grant and colorful spring flowers in white and ES L I FF JE Select apple-scab-resistant cultivars in order to avoid the heartbreak of mid summer crabapple defoliation. 4 JEFF ILES JEFF ILES Arnoldia 67/2 Crabapples withpersistentfruit providemonths ofcolor. Malus floribunda • 2009 sports beautifulpinkbudsandwhiteflowers. Crabapples 5 SE O R Y C AN N The weeping branches of ‘Red Jade’ laden with bright red fruit. shades of red ranging from palest pink to deep sun) and given modest annual care, crabapples burgundy. As an added spring attraction, many can have a functionally effective life of at least crabapples display beautifully contrasting col­ 40 to 50 years, and sometimes much longer. ors as the flower evolves from tight bud stage to fully opened flower—for example, deep pink Where Do They All Come From? buds opening to white flowers or deep red buds There are interesting stories behind the dis­ becoming bright pink flowers. Most crabapples covery, naming, and introduction of every spe­ have handsome foliage with leaf color ranging cies, variety, and cultivar of crabapple. From from dark green to burgundy. Though generally M. baccata, gleaned from the wilds of Siberia not noted for fall foliage color, some crabapples and named by Linneaus in 1767, to modern including M. tschonoskii and ‘Satin Cloud’ cultivars that owe their existence to count­ develop eye­catching shades of orange, crimson, less crosses and backcrosses, one has to marvel and purple, while others flaunt hues of apricot at the imagination, determination, and luck (‘Prairie Maid’) and golden­yellow (‘Amberina’ required to bring a single crabapple selection and ‘Red Swan’). Providing as spectacular a display to the attention of the gardening public. As an as their spring blossoms but much longer last­ illustration, consider the circuitous birthing ing, the best crabapples bear bushels of vividly­ path for the much admired weeping crabapple colored fruit that enliven the fall and winter ‘Red Jade’. landscape. Another plus is the broad array of The ‘Red Jade’ story begins in the early to mid growth habits and mature sizes that makes it 1800s in northeast Asia with the discovery and possible to choose a crabapple for practically introduction of Malus prunifolia. The plumleaf any landscape situation. Finally, when planted crabapple was known for having many forms, on appropriate sites (well­drained soils and full and as luck would have it, a weeping form was 6 Arnoldia 67/2 • 2009 ES L I FF JE A Father Fiala introduction, ‘Orange Crush’ crabapple is gaining popularity. discovered and given the cultivar name ‘Pen­ duction sports orange­crimson flowers, handfuls dula’. Later, M. prunifolia ‘Pendula’ was crossed of deep maroon fruit, and excellent disease (and with M. floribunda (Japanese flowering crabap­ Japanese beetle) resistance. But its existence ple) with the result being a small, weeping tree and subsequent rise to fame comes only after a eventually dubbed M. floribunda ‘Exzellenz mind­numbing series of crosses, ending finally Thiel’. Selected by Späth Nursery in Germany when Father John Fiala crossed M. ‘Liset’ with and introduced to North America by the Arnold M. ‘Red Swan’. And you can bet M. ‘Orange Arboretum in 1912, this diminutive, disease­ Crush’ will join the hybridization dance many prone crabapple was one of the first weeping times before it’s put out to pasture. ornamental trees used in the United States. In 1935 serendipity stepped in as Dr. George M. Selecting the Right Crabapple Reed of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden either Finding a great crabapple for your landscape discovered or purposely germinated and grew is pretty easy these days. The vast majority of open­pollinated seedlings from M. floribunda crabapples now sold in nurseries and garden ‘Exzellenz Thiel’. What initially captured his centers have much improved resistance to dis­ attention isn’t clear, but one of those seedlings ease compared to their predecessors, and also developed into a beautiful weeping tree. In 1953 feature highly ornamental fruit that is either it was given the cultivar name ‘Red Jade’; the small in size, persistent, or relished by our name remains a bit of a mystery but probably winged friends. refers to the bright red, ½ inch diameter fruit The decision to include one or several crab­ and the glossy “jade” green foliage, two notable apples in a landscape planting really hinges on and recognizable features of the cultivar. several factors. First and foremost, the tree you Now fast­forward to one of today’s rising choose must fit the site. For example, if you stars, M. ‘Orange Crush’. This delightful intro­ don’t have sufficient room for a large tree (stan­ Crabapples 7 SE O R Y C dard crabapples typically grow 20 to 25 feet tall AN N and wide), you might consider one of several dwarf selections such as ‘Camzam’ (Camelot®), ‘Cinzam’ (Cinderella®), ‘Coralcole’ (Coral­ burst®), or ‘Lanzam’ (Lancelot®). And if you like the somewhat formal look of dwarf forms top­ grafted to a standard, then you must investigate the aptly­named ‘Lollizam’ (Lollipop®) and two Malus sargentii selections, ‘Select A’ (Firebird®) and ‘Tina’. If you’re looking for an upright­grow­ ing selection that will pose minimal problems for pedestrian and vehicular traffic, the increas­ ingly popular ‘Adirondack’ (selected by Don Egolf at the United States National Arboretum) is the crabapple for you. But if space constraints aren’t an issue (parks, golf courses, entryway plantings, large residential lots, etc.) imagine the visual impact of informally arranged drifts (5 to 9, or more) of red­flowering ‘Cardinal’, red­ fruited ‘David’, or gold­fruited ‘Schmidtcutleaf’ (Golden Raindrops®). Next, consider special maintenance issues Dense-crowned ‘Coralcole’ (Coralburst®) crabapple fits such as disease susceptibility. In a perfect in smaller spaces. world, we’d quickly rule out using crabapple ES L I FF JE White-flowered ‘Adirondack’ has a tidy upright-vase shape. The crabapple to the right is ‘Purple Prince’. NANCY ROSE NANCY ROSE JEFF ILES ‘Schmidtcutleaf’ (GoldenRaindrops ‘Donald Wyman’ ‘David’ ‘Jewelcole’ (RedJewel ‘Camzam’ (Camelot Clockwise fromupperleft: ® ) ™ ) ® ) NANCY ROSE NANCY ROSE The “Best” Crabapples (Malus spp.) TAXA FLOWER FRUIT HT/WD FORM FOLIAGE ‘Adirondack’ white orange-red (½") 18'/10' upright (inverted cone) dark green