About
A deciduous tree to around 6m high with deep purple to bronze leaves that turn shades of orange and red in autumn. aromatic, pink to red flowers in spring are followed by small, greenish apples with a red blush; whilst primarily grown as an ornamental tree as the fruits are quite small and tart, they may be used to produce a crabapple jelly.
About the genus
Malus are small to medium-sized deciduous trees with showy flowers in spring and ornamental or edible fruit in autumn; some have good autumn foliage colour
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand, Chalk
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing, East-facing, North-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeTrees
HabitSpreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
Height4-8 metres
Spread4-8 metres
Time to full height10-20 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
FragranceFlower
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moderately fertile soil in a sunny position; will tolerate partial shade
PruningPruning group 1
PropagationPropagate by sowing seed in a seedbed in autumn, by chip budding in late summer or grafting in midwinter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, including rosy apple aphid and woolly aphid, apple sawfly, fruit tree red spider mite, codling moth, apple leaf-mining moth and other caterpillars
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to apple canker, apple scab, blossom wilt, brown rot, fireblight, honey fungus and powdery mildews