Plants and Profits: Crabapple

Suggest crabapple when customers ask for…

• Something with four-season interest
• A tree that will work near a deck or patio
• A tree that will adapt to a variety of less-than-ideal conditions
• A “street tree” that requires little pruning
• A specimen that will attract bees and other pollinators

{The story}
Few plants create greater four-season visual impact than flowering crabapple (Malus spp.). In spring, all eyes are drawn to the emerging leaves and buds. Unopened flowers may hint of one color, yet as flowers open, other hues are revealed. As flowers fade, rich foliage offers another subtle contribution to the landscape. Once autumn arrives, falling leaves reveal the fruit. Winter snows accent fruits, branches and tree shapes. Due to their versatility, crabapples make excellent choices for use around homes, schools, parks, public and commercial buildings and in highway plantings.

Display and marketing possibilities

• Display select cultivars with recipe cards for crabapple preserves.
• Include bonsai crabapple specimens with your interior foliage offerings.
• Tout that new cultivars are resistant to scab, mildew, fire blight and other common problems.
• Use crabapples to anchor planting beds in your parking lot.
• Create a display of trees with a weeping habit, including select crabapple varieties.