Crabapple Collection

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Crabapple Collection
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For more than
a century, the Arboretum has played a pivotal role in
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the study, introduction, and promotion of the genus Malus (apples
andA crabapples). Today, the permanent collection B
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cultivars, which have been selected for certainOhorticultural
merits such
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as flower size and color, fruit persistence, and disease resistance.
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Since 2010, the Peters Hill Malus collection has been the subject
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intensive horticultural care
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improving the appearance of the collection, these efforts will helpt h
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1 Redvein crabapple
(Malus pumila var. niedzwetzkyana)
2 Prarie crabapple
(Malus ioensis)
W EL D H I L L
3 Sargent crabapple
We l d S t r e e t
(Malus sargentii)
4 Cultivar of flowering crabapple
(Malus ‘Mary Potter’)
5 Cultivar of cherry crabapple
(Malus x robusta ‘Arnold-Canada’)
6 Cultivar of flowering crabapple
(Malus ‘Donald Wyman’)
7 Tea crabapple
(Malus hupehensis)
H E MLO CK H ILL
B USSEY S TR EET
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Hebrew
Rehabilitation
Center
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Weld Hill Research
& Administration Building
(No Public Access)
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WALTER S TREET
B URYI N G G RO UN D
6
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M E N D UM S TR EET
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125 Arborway
Boston, MA 02130-3500
617-384-5209
mi.
www.arboretum.harvard.edu
.25 km.
Crabapples bloom in white and shades of red ranging from pale pink to deep
purplish rose. Often the flower buds are a darker shade than the open flowers,
adding attractive contrast on blooming branches. Many Malus species bear pink
buds that open to white flowers. The introduction of 1 Malus pumila var.
niedzwetzkyana in the 1890s brought a new range of color to crabapples: this
unusual variety has dark rose-red flowers, reddish purple fruit, and purplish new
foliage, and was used in hybridizing to develop ornamental crabapples with
deeper pink to red flowers.
Most Malus species are native to Eurasia, but there are a few that are native to
North America. An example in the Arboretum’s collection is 2 Malus ioensis, the
prairie crabapple. This species bears large (1 to 1.5 inch diameter) fruit that
provide food for wildlife when they fall but make the tree less desirable for most
landscape uses. However, the double-flowered cultivar M. ioensis ‘Plena’ is popular
for its fragrant, roselike, pink flowers that do not develop into fruit.
3 Sargent crabapple (Malus sargentii) was named in honor of the Arboretum’s
founding director, Charles S. Sargent, who first brought seeds of this species to the
United States from Japan. This naturally small-growing species reaches a height of
only 6 to 8 feet but has a horizontal spread of 8 to 15 feet. It has white flowers
and small (¼ inch diameter) red fruit that persists into winter.
4 Malus ‘Mary Potter’ is another crabapple with a Sargent connection. This
cultivar was hybridized and selected by Arboretum researcher Karl Sax in 1947
and was named in honor of Charles Sprague Sargent’s daughter. It grows about
10 to 15 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. Pink buds open to white flowers, which
are followed by ½ inch diameter red fruit.
Most ornamental crabapple cultivars are small trees,
typically maturing at 15 to 25 feet tall. A notable
exception on Peters Hill is a specimen of 5 Malus x
robusta ‘Arnold-Canada’. At just over 40 feet tall, it
towers over neighboring crabapples. In addition to its
large size, this rare cultivar is noted for its showy yellow
and red fruit and for developing good yellow fall foliage.
One of the best cultivars for colorful, persistent fruit is 6 Malus ‘Donald Wyman’,
an Arboretum introduction named in honor of the long-time Arboretum
horticulturist. Its ½ inch diameter bright red fruits are showy in fall and winter, and
often some fruit is still present when the tree begins to bloom in the spring.
7 Tea crabapple, Malus hupehensis, has a distinctive vase-shaped growth habit. Native
to China, this species was introduced to the United States by the Arboretum after
noted plant explorer E. H. Wilson brought seeds back from his 1908 China expedition.
Tea crabapple often develops purplish fall foliage color, which contrasts nicely with its
red-blushed yellow fruit.