I love crabapples and wanted to add one when I first started my project a few years ago. I had heard alot about the related problems and couldn't decide which one to choose. A customer of mine had just moved to LaConner and decided that he wanted to give me a young crabapple from his nursery as a way of thanking me for my service. I knew little about this particular cultivar but I couldn't really turn down such a flattering gesture so I took it home and planted it. It's more of a vase shape than I might have chosen but it fits the space perfectly. It has dark red buds that open to white flowers and right now is about 3/4 fully flowered out and is gorgeous. The red buds and white flowers give it a kind of candy cane look. It's a 'Sentinel' and I love it. It's been in about 3 years now I guess and is about 12-15' and I have had no probs whatsoever with bugs or disease.

I have seen them in bloom and they are gorgeous!! I do have a few questions...what happens to the little crabapples and how big do they get, the crabapples I mean? Do they cover the ground and cover the plants that are all around and under the tree? Do you have to go out and rake them up? That was another reason I wasn't sure I wanted to get them.

There are many cultivars of flowering crabs that are extremely disease resistant and have virtually no problems. The WSU extension office in My Vernon has done a lot of trialing of these trees and has an extensive listing of those they recommend for this area. I consider them one of the best of the smaller flowering ornamental trees with an extended season of interest - buds which often develop into a contrasting colored, mildly fragrant flower (the two-toned effect you noticed), decent fall color and persistant fruit, providing winter interest. 'Persistant' meaning the typically small fruit remains on the tree until consumed by birds - they rarely fall and are not messy. And I've never noticed crabs having any particular insect problems - far less than many other trees I could mention. All in all, great little trees.

The fruit on mine is between a pea and a dime in size and there is no mess to speak of at all. The bright red fruit is a great contrast with the green leaves and by spring there isn't much left, on the tree or ground. I have a poured curb and a stepping stone walk alongside and neither gets soiled.

Thanks gardengal48 and boxofrox!! Sounds like crabapple is the tree for me. I'm going to look into the different varieties and purchase a couple this weekend! Thanks!

I also recommend crabapples. I have two with persistent fruits that are disease resistant.

The smaller one is marketed as Golden Raindrops. It has yellow fruit and an unusual cut leaf and unusual star shapped flowers. It is a fabulous little tree. Great fall color too.

The bigger one is zumi calicarpa which has red fruits but may grow larger than what you want.

Here is a link that might be useful: golden raindrops

Now that I've decided to get the crabapple trees, I just spoke to the nursery I normally go to The Nursery at Mt. Si in North Bend, and they have a couple varieties that are about 6' tall, but she said that they grow very slowly and it will take years to even get to 12-15 feet. I need a variety that will grow to 15-20 feet in about 5ish years. The location that they are going in is on either side of my front entryway and 5 feet in 10 years is a little too long to wait. What is your experience? And which varieties grow a little faster and taller than 10 to 12 feet?

Try Big Tree Supply in Snohomish, they might have something more mature. I just checked their website for various Malus for you and they rate them not by height but by trunk caliper so if you called them, they might have some taller ones.

I think the zumi calicarpa is probably the better variety for me. 20' tall and wide is perfect for the site. I'll call around the different nurseries on the eastside and see if someone has them. Thanks for that suggestion!

I have a crabapple tree I purchased about a week ago. The problem is I put it in a container that was waaay too small. It has very few leaves that are still alive and had beautiful deep red flowers on it when I purchased it. I have since put it in a pot that is at least 4 times a big as the other pot. Do you guy's think she will rebound from this? I feel so bad. Please say she will make it. LOL!!!!

I planted 3 Kousa, 3 years ago. The first summer they seemed stressed, last summer they seemed fine, but few blossoms. This year even fewer blossoms (3). The shrubs are 6 to 7' tall. Help!

Crabs are more varied than Kousa, which is one species while they are derived from multiple ones and have been crossed repeatedly to produce hundreds of kinds. The drought-sensitivity of the Kousa is also a bore, mine would probably almost die if I didn't pour on the water every summer - last season the one in the back would perk up after hours of sprinkling only to start flagging again a few days later. This soon got old.

The crab down in the front seems not bothered much, although I think it may start shedding inner leaves in response to continued summer conditions here.

I have an area that I am landscaping that is close to the house. I need a small tree to mix in with some holly and red rhodies. I would love to add a kouse or serviceberry but am concerned that they will get too big. Can either be easily pruned? Does anyone have any other suggestions for a speciman. I don't want any thing weeping and I prefer a klump form of something!

Thanks

I have (2) Kousa Dogwood Dwaft trees. I don't know how to prune them? Should I take the branches out at the bottom (bushy) and how far up the trunk?

Once of any size dogwoods are best not pruned, all the more so if you are inexperienced.

sandra,

How old and what size are your trees?

I recently trimmed small branches off mine up to about 3 ft high, but mine have been in the ground about 6 years and are around 10' tall. I chose that height because of how I have to work around the area.

I pruned my Kouza dogwood over the course of its first 4 years (or so) to open up the interior and remove any crossing branches. This pruning created a well shaped tree, now 20 years later. Yes, remove the lower branches so it is not bushy, if you do not want bushy. Also, envision what it will look like as it matures with the branches you have and want to keep. Remember not to remove more than 20% or the branches in any given year so as not to stress the tree. There are good resources on "young tree training/pruning" which illustrate where to make pruning cuts, shaping a tree properly. Also, prune your tree for the location (such as removing branches which may grow to touch the house).