Crab Apple

Crab Apple (Malus trilobata) is the deciduous tree for a garden that needs height without width. It grows to about 8m tall and only 4m across, holding a tight upright form, and the maple like lobed leaves turn deep red through to purple before winter. White blossom covers the branches in spring. It is also sold as Eriolobus trilobatus.

Why you'll love it

• Tall and narrow by nature. Roughly 8m by 4m, so it screens a first storey window or lines a driveway without pushing into the lawn.
• Autumn colour worth planting for. The lobed leaves turn red through to purple and hold for weeks in a cool or Mediterranean climate.
• Spring blossom for bees. Clean white flowers open before the leaves expand, and they are genuinely useful to bees and butterflies.
• Tough once established. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and wind tolerant, a rare set in an ornamental of this size.

Where it works best

Driveways and avenues. Plant 3m to 4m apart for an even row. The narrow crown keeps cars and paths clear without annual lifting of the lower limbs.

Screening in a small garden. A row at 3m screens an upper level outlook while taking almost no ground space. Being deciduous the screen thins over winter, which suits a garden that wants winter sun.

Feature planting. As a single specimen it carries three seasons: blossom, a clean green summer canopy, then the autumn turn.

Growing crab apple in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It belongs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it needs genuine winter cold to colour well. In subtropical and tropical areas the leaves stay green and drop without the display.

Soil. Any reasonably drained soil, slightly acidic to neutral, improved with compost through the backfill. It will not sit in waterlogged ground, so mound the planting hole on heavy clay and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then it can largely be left to seasonal rain in temperate gardens. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is all it asks.

Pruning. Very little. Remove crossing or damaged wood in late winter while the tree is bare, and resist shortening the leader, since the upright shape is the reason to grow it.

What to expect when it arrives

This crab apple is grown in 45L and 100L containers, both advanced sizes rather than young whips. A 45L tree usually arrives around head height with a formed leader, and a 100L tree gives you several years of growth on day one.

Ordered in winter it may arrive bare of leaves, which is normal for a deciduous tree. Expect 30 to 50cm of growth a year once settled. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, plants are delivered Australia wide, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing trees to line a driveway
• Browse the deciduous tree range
• Plants grown for autumn colour
• Evergreen or deciduous, how to choose

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for an avenue?

3m to 4m apart gives an even, continuous row without the crowns fighting. For a screen hold to 3m; for individual specimens along a drive, stretch to 5m.

Is the fruit edible?

The small apples are edible in the technical sense but hard and sour, and best left to the birds. This tree is grown for its shape, blossom and autumn colour.

Will it colour up in a warm garden?

Only partly. Warm temperate gardens get a shorter, softer turn, and in subtropical areas the leaves usually drop green. Cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens see the full display.

How wide will it really get?

About 4m across at maturity, and it takes its time getting there. Allow 2m of clearance from a wall or fence and it will never need reshaping.