Crab Apple ‘Crimson Knight’

Crab Apple 'Crimson Knight' (Malus 'Crimson Knight') is a small deciduous tree that holds colour from the first buds to leaf drop. Crimson spring blossom covers the bare branches, then deep burgundy foliage carries the summer before turning again in autumn, with small dark fruit left behind for the birds. It grows to about 4m tall and 3m wide, which makes it a genuine feature tree for a suburban block.

Why you'll love it

• Burgundy foliage, not just green. The dark leaf colour holds right through summer, long after the blossom has finished.
• Spring blossom you cannot miss. Crimson and pink flowers open on bare wood, which is why crab apples read so strongly from a distance.
• The right size for a real garden. At 4m by 3m it gives shade and structure without taking over the yard.
• Birds and bees both benefit. Bees work the blossom in spring, and the small dark fruit feeds birds into the cold months.
• Safe near hard surfaces. Non-invasive roots mean it can go beside a driveway, a path or a courtyard edge.

Where it works best

Feature planting. One tree in a lawn or at the corner of a bed does the whole job, because there is something happening on it in every season.

Driveways and avenues. For a matched run, space trees 4 to 5m apart. That gives each canopy room to reach its full 3m spread without the crowns growing into one another.

Small gardens and shade. The canopy is open rather than heavy, so it throws usable dappled shade over a seat or a bed while still letting light through beneath.

Growing Crab Apple 'Crimson Knight' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always: shade dulls the burgundy foliage and cuts the blossom. This is a cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean tree. It is frost hardy and wind tolerant, so exposed southern and inland blocks suit it, but not the tropics or humid subtropical gardens.

Soil. Deep, free draining soil with compost worked through the planting area. It handles a range of soil types but not permanent wet, so mound the bed on heavy clay.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers while the roots go down. After that it is drought tolerant in most seasons. Feed a complete fertiliser in early spring as the buds swell.

Pruning. Prune in winter while the tree is bare and the framework is visible. Take out crossing branches and any water shoots, and lift the lowest limbs if you want to walk or mow beneath it.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in one size, a 45L pot, so this is an advanced tree with a formed trunk and a branch structure already in place. You are not waiting years for it to look like something. Expect around 30 to 50cm of growth a year once established.

If it travels in the cooler months it will arrive bare, with no leaves. That is dormancy rather than transit damage, and it breaks bud again in spring. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, plants are delivered Australia wide. Every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the flowering tree range
• Small trees for urban and suburban blocks
• Trees suited to driveways and avenues
• Compare other deciduous trees

Common questions

Can you eat the fruit?

This is an ornamental crab apple grown for blossom and foliage, not for the kitchen. The fruit is small and sour, and it is best left on the tree for the birds.

How far from a fence or path should I plant it?

Allow at least 1.5m from a hard edge so the 3m canopy has room. The roots are non-invasive, so paving and pipes are not the concern here, the branches are.

Will it keep its dark leaves all summer?

In full sun, yes. In part shade the burgundy fades towards bronze green by mid summer, which is the biggest reason a crab apple disappoints.