Winter Interest: Crabapples Part II

Crabapple cultivars are versatile; they are available in various sizes, flower colors, fruit colors and fruit sizes.  Flower colors vary from white, light pink, deep pink and magenta, these blossoms are showy, often fragrant, and they attract pollinators. Crabapple fruit differ in sizes from ¼-inch to 1 ½-inch, and ripening times range from July through November. For fruit colors you can chose a tree that produces bright red, deep red, maroon, rose red, pink, deep pink, rose pink, golden orange or yellow-green fruit.  Crabapple apples provide an abundant food source for birds during the winter, and they provide winter interest in your landscape. Look for trees labeled with “persistent” fruit, meaning fruits stay on the tree extending garden interest and food for birds.

Crabapples are hardy in Zones 4-8.
Sun Exposure:  Full Sun 6+ hours, Part Sun 4-6 hours, Full Shade up to 4 hours. Select disease resistance varieties best for your growing area. Selecting disease resistance varieties should be a 1st priority for successful growing.

Semi-dwarf Crabapples (15ft-18 ft High)

Sugar Tyme

Sugar Tyme Crabapple:  18ft H x 15ft W; Upright spreading oval form. Foliage: Green.  Flowers: Pale Pink buds, Fragrant Single White Flowers. Fruits: Red, ½-inch, Persistent. Disease resistant ratings-Excellent: Mildew & Cedar Apple Rust. Good: Fire Blight & Scab.

 

Red Jewel

Red Jewel Crabapple: 15 ft H x 12 ft W; Tree is upright pyramidal form. Foliage: Green. Flower: Pure White, Single Flowers. Fruit: Brilliant Red, ½-inch, Very Persistent, in mild winters fruits often hold on until new buds appear.  Disease resistant ratings – Excellent: Mildew & Cedar Apple Rust. Good: Scab. Fair: Fire Blight.

Indian Magic

Indian Magic Crabapple: 15 ft H x 15 ft W; upright spreading branches. Foliage is dark green. Flowers: Deep pink 1 ½ inch singles. Fruit: Orange Red, ½-inch, Persistent. Disease resistant ratings- Excellent: Mildew. Good: Cedar Apple Rust & Fire Blight. Fair: Scab

 

Coral Burst

Coralburst Crabapple:  15ft H x15 ft W; slow growing tree forming a compact dense rounded head. Foliage: Dark Green. Flowers: Coral Pink buds, Double Rose Flowers.  Fruit: Yellow-green, 1/8-1/2- inch. Disease resistant ratings- Excellent: Mildew, Cedar Apple Rust & Fire Blight. Fair: Scab.

Standard Size (20 feet or higher)

Royal Raindrops

Royal Raindrops Crabapple:  20 ft H x 15 W; upright and spreading with good branching habit, deeply lobed leaves. Foliage: Purple, Cut-leaf lob, turning orange/red in the fall.  Fruit: Bright Pinkish-Red, 1/4-inch, Persistent.  Disease resistant ratings-Excellent: Scab & Cedar Apple Rust. Good: Mildew & Fire Blight.

Donald Wyman

Donald Wyman: 20 ft h x 24 ft W; Tall and wide rounded shape. Foliage: Glossy Green. Flowers: Single, White. Fruit: Bright Red, 3/8-inch, Abundant, Highly Persistent.   Disease resistant ratings-Excellent: Mildew & Cedar Apple Rust. Good: Scab. Fair: Fire Blight.

Note: Where fire blight is a concern, avoid spring pruning (when bacterium can enter fresh open cuts).

Article by: Carlotta Lucas

Resource: Forest Farms, Williams Oregon https://www.forestfarm.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=crabapple&cat=&order=genus_species_cultivar&dir=asc

Resource: J. Frank Schmidt & Son, Growers, Boring Oregon

Chart: https://www.jfschmidt.com/pdfs/JFS_CRAB_CHART.pdf

Just say NO to Fall Clean Up

While diseased plants and leaves should be removed from your flowerbeds,  leaving plant debris, seed heads, plant stalks, and leaf litter provides much needed winter shelters and food for beneficial insects and birds. 

Forging urban birds like juncos, sparrows and chickadees need your plant’s seeds for food, and beneficial insects, like butterflies and moths, winter over on flower and ornamental grass stalks. So, by cutting and cleaning out flowerbed debris you are doing more harm than good by disrupting your garden’s natural habitat.

Rethink fall clean up, resist the urge to remove all the debris, keep it until spring because the wildlife depends on it! It also provides mulch to protect plants during cold weather. 

Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member  

Photo by: Carlotta Lucas – Caterpillar on Salvia Stalk (10/22/2020)

Food for Birds

We’ve heard it before, * “do not cut and remove perennial stems and flower heads in the fall.” These pictures clearly demonstrate local birds feeding on these valuable fall and winter food sources!

Photos courtesy of:  Suzanne Sky – Talent, Oregon

*Read AGC’s article: //ashlandorgardenclub.org/2018/10/15/gardening-prepare-for-winter/

 

Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas