Seasonality may be a factor - fruiting trees, even more ornamental fruiting trees, are generally more readily available in early season than in fall. Most of them tend to be harvested bare root during dormancy and in nurseries in late winter or very early spring. Most have sold by this time of year.

If winter interest is your primary concern, I would not necessarily limit myself to Red Jewel. There are a good many very disease resistant cultivars of flowering crabs with extremely persistant (holding through winter) fruit displays. Nearly all of them are very gardenworthy additions to the smaller urban garden.

I just bought Malus Prairiefire thanks to Ron's list of trees. The owner of the nursery told me I had picked the very best one.

I'm in the lower mainland and didn't have any trouble finding one. Do a google search. That's how I found mine.

Greetings all!

The reason for being very specific for the Red Jewel (Jewelcole) cultivar has to do with the retention of the tiny brilliant red apples all the way to spring.

I have a wall about 12' wide, white that has a perfect spot to show off the brilliant and profuse winter "berry" effect of that cultivar. There are no other cultivars I've found that have the combination of several factors that this Malus one does.

Specifically the factors are:

Profuse display of white flowers in spring
Disease resistance is very good
size maxes out at about 12' wide by about 15' tall
bright green summer foliage
profuse 1/2" fruit set that is brilliant cherry red
the fruit are retained on the tree all winter until the March flowering season
it is very cold tolerant

I've done my homework. The problem is trying to locate a supplier. Google has not helped me very much but I'm working on it.

Any suggestions for nurseries that would have it would be appreciated. Al's Garden Center in Woodburn, OR lists it but they said they have not carried it for a few years and won't order any.

Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: Papillon's Art Palace

Sounds like a pretty tree you've chosen.

I did a quick google search and found this:

Forestfarm
990 Tetherow Road
Williams, OR 97544-9599
541-846-7269
www.forestfarm.com

http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/plants/2005sp_malus.html

I'm not in the US so not sure if this is close to you or not.

I have the Fall 2005 catalog from Forest Farm...and I checked the web site. They don't carry 'Red Jewel'.

Patrick