Does anyone have recommendations for cheering up a crabapple tree ('malus' spring snow)? We've had one since spring 2004 and the leaves have always looked droopy (rather pathetic). In 2004 & 2005 the tree had white flowers. In 2006, due to a winter drought, it barely leafed and had no flowers. So far this year about 3/4 of the tree has leaves (the bare branches look like they will eventually sprout leaves). Any advice welcome! Thanks. LaurieDutch

I've never tried rooting crabapples. Have tried dormant mulberry cuttings - with minimal success; you'd think they'd work, similar to their 'cousin' the fig - perhaps with some bottom heat and a mist bench, dormant mulberry cuttings would fare better. I have had better results with mid-summer semi-hardwood cuttings of mulberry.

"Cedars" in this case being certain species of junipers, not "white cedars" (arborvitaes) or true cedars, Cedrus species. And while the disease is unsightly and can disfigure fruit and cause some early leaf drop, it tends to be more of a cosmetic issue than seriously harmful. The good news is that there are a number of crabapple cultivars that have been bred specifically for disease resistance. And not just rust - also scab, fireblight and mildew resistance. Adirondack, Firebird, Pink Princess, PrairieFire, Prof. Sprenger and Sargentii are all very highly disease resistant cultivars but several others are rated very highly for rust resistance in particular.

Thank you Floral - Do you have any knowledge of these varieties? Growers near me offer: Amelanchier canadensis, Amelanchier laevis, and Amelanchier grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance.' I am thinking that a (single-stem) Hawthorn, followed by MS Serviceberry, and a SS Donald Wyman might be a nice pattern. My husband is not a fan of the Chionanthus, and I am seeing that the Halesia Carolina is a better understory tree. The allee will be at the west side of the property, and most of it will receive full sun. That's why I ruled out dogwood for this location. Occasionally, we get some strong winds from that direction too, as there is a large field in front of us, with few wind breaks. Please let me know if it is a "hardy" tree. Cecily - Cercis canadensis are my favorite tree, and I have several planted in the yard. For whatever reason, the cercis royal white doesn't appear to be as readily available, but I'm sure it can be had with a little effort. It's another great possibility. Thank you!