The Ultimate Guide to Growing and Caring for Crabapple Trees

There are numerous reasons to consider planting a crabapple tree. Their ability to help pollinate other fruit trees, the tasty fruit, and their beautiful blooms make them a great asset for your yard or orchard.

Originally published August 2015; this post has been updated. 

JUMP TO:

• Crabapples in an edible landscape
• Why you should plant crab apples for the bees
• Crabapples as pollinators
• Why crabapple trees are a good small space option
• The difference between ornamental and edible crabapples
• Choosing the best crabapple for fruit
• Are crabapples poisonous?
• When are crabapples ripe?
• Do crab apples grow quickly?
• How long before I’ll have a harvest?
• Recipes to use your crabapple harvest

What is a Crabapple?

A member of the Malus genus, these trees are related to the standard orchard apple that you’re familiar with. 

A flowering crabapple shows off every spring with beautiful blossoms and does not fruit. Fruiting crabapples develop fruit that isn’t as large (or pretty) as standard apples. Even so, these fruits are great for cooking with; use them as you would any other apple variety.

Consider Planting a Crab Apple Tree

When people look for fruit trees for a small garden, they think of the standard grocery store fruit: Gala apples, Italian Prune plums, freestone Peaches, and a few other familiar fruit.

Here are five reasons crab apples should be in your garden plans. (And yes, there is no consensus on how to spell crabapple.)

1. Crabapples are Decorative

My crabapple trees are the first trees to blossom in my garden. They blossom longer than any of my other fruit trees. This gives me a full 3 to 4 weeks of flowering, at a time when the rest of my garden is just beginning to wake up.

These flowering trees bloom in white to pink flowers, some sporting deeply colored almost red flowers. Glossy green foliage appears following the blossom stage.

In late summer the red and yellow blushed fruit hangs in bundles from the branches, stunning against the August greenness of the rest of the garden. The leaves hang on till the first killing frost and then change color quickly for a stunning display of gold and yellow. Crabapple trees provide a nearly year-round interest for a beautiful landscape.

2. They are Early Bee Food

In spring my crabapple trees are abuzz with bumblebees and mason bees. The blossoms of these flowering trees are a banquet for both native pollinators and honey bees.

Since the flowering season for crabapples is earlier and longer, it gives those stressed pollinators a reliable food source before berries and other fruit start to leaf out.

3. Crab Apple Trees Pollinate Other Apple Varieties

Apple trees require a pollinator of another compatible apple variety to set fruit. Pollen from a crabapple tree will pollinate most apple trees provided that they blossom at the same time.

Crab apples are so effective at pollinating other apple varieties that old-time orchardists would take branches of crab apples in bloom and put them in a bucket of water in the middle of their apple orchards. The bees would visit the crabapple blossoms and then visit the apple blossoms as they opened on the apple trees, improving the fruit set.

When you are planting apple trees in a new garden, plant a crabapple within 50 feet of your other apple trees to ensure good pollination.

4. They Don’t Take Up Much Space

Crabapples can be huge, sprawling trees, or small garden trees depending on the rootstock chosen. When you are considering one for your small garden, look for one grafted onto dwarf rootstock. Crabapples on dwarf rootstock don’t take up much space and are good for smaller gardens.

Although these can still grow up to 12 feet tall, they can be easily managed in a small garden, with judicious pruning. Be sure to provide full sun for these trees.

5. Crab Apples are Edible and Dependable

Can you eat crabapples? Absolutely! They’re perfectly edible.

In commercial production of apples the crabapple is used merely as a pollinator. Often, these trees are bred only for their blossoms. (You may have noticed that it’s hard to find them at your local farmer’s market.)

The difference between an ornamental and an edible crabapple is the size of the fruit. Edible varieties have fruit that are about two inches in diameter, whereas ornamentals have tiny fruit or no fruit at all. Plant a variety with medium to large fruit to get the most from your tree.

Crabapple Varieties: Which Should You Plant?

My favorite for a small garden is the Dolgo variety. It is one of the earliest to blossom in the spring. The blossom buds on the Dolgo crabapple are deep pink and open to large, showy white flowers.

The red fruit is medium size — about two inches — with good flavor and a strong red hue that is visible in the jelly, the pectin, or the canned fruit. As an early bloomer, it pollinates the early-fruiting, heritage apple trees that I have in my mountain garden.

I grow it because it is hardy to zone 3 and will produce fruit in my shorter growing season. It has good disease resistance to fire blight, scab, cedar rust, and mildew.

Best Time to Plant Crabapple Trees

You can plant crab apple trees when the weather is cool, such as fall or late winter/ early spring, or whenever your soil can be worked. Bare root trees need to be planted in the early spring. [Go here for more on planting bare root fruit trees.]

Container-grown trees, or those sold as “balled and burlapped” can be planted in spring, summer, or fall.

Soil Type for Crabapple Trees

These flowering trees really like rich, well-drained soil, but are adaptable and are even a good choice for growing in containers. Check the soil around trees every few days during the first year and keep the soil moist. Using natural mulch such as wood chips or shredded leaves around the trees will help keep the soil moisture from evaporating during hot weather or dry spells.

FAQs

Are crabapples poisonous?

No. All crab apples are edible fruit. Some ornamental trees produce small fruit (others don’t produce fruit at all). These tiny fruits are not poisonous and are perfectly edible. However, ornamental crab apple trees have been bred for their beauty, not the flavor of their fruit. Fruit from ornamental crabapple trees can be somewhat bitter.

If you find an ornamental tree that produces tasty but small fruit, consider using the fruit in recipes that don’t require peeling or coring to save time, such as apple butter or apple jelly.

Ornamental crabapple trees that drop small fruit can be the perfect choice for a source of food for your flock of chickens as well as food for wildlife. Plant one in their pen and you can enjoy the beauty of blossoms in the springtime and they can enjoy the fruit later.

When are Crabapples Ripe?

In North America and the northern hemisphere, crab apples are generally ripe in the late summer or fall. Many trees have “persistent” fruit, meaning that even when they’re ripe they’ll remain hanging on the tree for a month or more.

Are Crabapples Fast-Growing Trees?

It depends. Some crab apple trees grow faster than others. Ornamental varieties like Purple Prince (purple foliage) and Red Jewel are considered faster growing than others. Generally speaking, you can expect one of these trees to grow one-to-two feet per year.

Are they Prone to Disease?

Like their standard apple cousins, crabapples can succumb to common diseases like apple ruse and apple scab. Both of these are surface blemishes and can be peeled off the fruit before using. Powdery mildew. a fungal disease, is another potential issue. Talk to your local nursery person about the best disease-resistant variety for your region; it can vary by growing zone.

How Long Does it Take a Tree to Produce Fruit?

The climate and conditions in which your tree is growing will dictate how quickly it will fruit, but two to five years is a good range to plan on.

Dreaming of harvesting more fruit? There are other great fruit trees to consider, too!

Originally published August 2015; this post has been updated. 

Click to save or share!