Habitat
Habit
and Form
- a small, deciduous tree
- 6' to8' tall or perhaps a bit larger
- 1.5 to 2 times wider than tall
- dense, twiggy branching
- habit can be described as mounded
Summer
Foliage
- alternate leaf arrangement
- deciduous leaves
- leaves ovate to oval
- leaves are 2" to 3" long and 1 to 2" wide
- leaves are typically 3-lobed
- sharply-toothed leaf margins
- deep green color
Autumn
Foliage
- foliage turns a mix of yellow and green
Flowers
- blooms in April to early May
- pink to red in bud, opening to white
- fragrant, 5-petaled blossoms
- individual flowers are 1" wide
- flowers held in clusters
- can be very showy
- borne in alternate years, although off year is still showy
Fruit
- fruits held in clusters
- shiny, deep red color
- 0.4" diameter crabapples
- very showy in the autumn
Bark
- shiny, gray-brown color
- scaley
- not of particular ornamental importance
Culture
- prefers full sun
- very tolerant of a range of soils
- prefers moist, organic, slightly acid soils
- easy to cultivate
Landscape
Use
- patio tree
- small groupings or massing
- specimen
- useful for showy bloom
- useful for high quality summer foliage
- attract birds and wildlife to fruit
- a very useful crabapple because of its short height and form
Liabilities
- relatively resistant to most crabapple disease and insect problems
ID
Features
- short for a crabapple
- nearly twice as wide as tall
- three-lobed leaves
- clusters of small, shiny red fruit in fall
- flower buds pink, opening to white
- flowers and fruit held in clusters
Propagation
- comes true from seed
- cuttings
- tissue culture
Cultivars/Varieties
'Rosea' - Similar to the species, but the flower buds
are slightly darker and the open flowers are a bit larger. The plant grows a
bit larger than the species. Some references indicate that 'Rosea' is more susceptible
to scab, but this seems to be largely unsubstantiated.
'Tina' - This cultivar is thought to be a sargentii
type. It is a more dwarf selection that doesn't get much larger than 6' tall.
