This 'Not so Crabby" crabapple is a selection found as a chance seedling of a russet apple that we grew out due to its light purple foliage. As it flowered and fruited we began to take notice when the 1 inch fruits were totally sweet with no astringency. The large pink and lavender flowers cover the tree in spring. The crabapples drop early starting in late August.
The real value of this crabapple is its seedlings which could be used for wildlife. The seedlings usually have very clean foliage and yet have the high vigor of a typical apple seedling. Clean foliage is a real issue trying to develop wild type apples with no insect or disease issues. Although wildlife consume sweet fruited crabapples very quickly in August and September, further selections could be done for sweet crabapples for cider, jelly and syrups for people to use. The real break though on this particular tree is its thick skin which prevents a lot of insect damage. We believe this was inherited from its named varietal Russet selection.
Trees are 2 yr. old seedlings and have nice roots and are easy to transplant.
| Plant Specs |
| Genus & Species |
Malus x domestica x purpurea |
| Seed Source |
Michigan |
| Height (ft) |
20-30 ft. |
| Width (ft) |
20-40 ft. |
| Pollination Requirements |
Self fertile |
| Soil |
Well drained sandy loam or loam. Not too particular. |
| Climate |
Zone 3-8 |
| Ease of Cultivation |
Very easy to establish. Protect against browsing deer. Full sun is ideal. Despite being a seedling crabapple, this selection is more of a standard apple tree in size. The seedlings are pollinated by surrounding kerr and hewe trees. The parent tree has very clean foliage throughout the summer. |
