Malus Royal Beauty Weeping Crab Apple Tree
An extremely attractive small crab apple tree, Royal Beauty (Malus 'Royal Beauty') is distinguished by its slender, hanging, reddish stems of bronze-purple foliage. In May its purple-red to deep pink flowers are a real show, this is followed in Autumn by dark red crab apples which are then followed by bronzed yellow leaves. The crab apples last well into the winter which should keep the birds coming back to your garden. Super glue on the branches or peanuts on a string are other ways of keeping birds in your garden but then you may have a few visits from various government organisations about this.
Good for small gardens as this tree can be expected to attain a height of 2.5m (8ft) with a similar spread. It is also good for large gardens but will obviously look small if surrounded by lots of bigger trees!
Considered to be clay tolerant which means if clay turns up at the door unexpectedly that it will silently "harumph" with a discreet eye role but still put the kettle on.
Should we be out of stock of Malus Royal Beauty then Malus Sun Rival is a similar weeping crab apple tree.
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Ornamental Tree Roots In The Shade e.g. Behind A Fence
It is more important that that foliage (posh term for leaves) receives the sunlight than the roots. So if the canopy of your ornamental tree can sunbathe but the bottom of your tree thinks there has been a nuclear winter then that is ok. You might want to ensure you have good drainage as water and no sun is the start of algae and other such issues.
Do I Need To Stake My Ornamental Tree?
Our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Air and light is reduced in this location which could promote fungus and bacterial issues. If the corner is of the house and a fence then you also have leeching issues to contend with from cement and wood preservatives. Also when it rains, that area would experience higher water levels so we advise against it unless the plant is very hardy.
Crab Apple Trees Listed As Good For Jelly
Laura, John Downie, Jelly King, Wisley, Pink Glow, Robusta, Dolgo, Butterball, Harry Baker and Red Obelisk.
Crab Apple Trees Listed As Patio
Any Crab apple tree listed as suitable for patio growing means that it has most likely been grafted onto an M27 rootstock giving it an ultimate height of around 1.5 metres.
Crab Apple Disease Resistance
Crab apple trees are generally resistant to disease but those that seem to be considerably less prone to problems are Admiration, Pink Glow, Wedding Bouquet, ButterBall, Cardinal, Comtesa De Paris, Elk River, Coralburst, Donald Wyman, Golden Gem, Gorgeous, Indian Magic, Jelly King, Louisa, Prairie Fire, Rudolf, Sun Rival, Tina, Scarlett, Transitoria, Guardsman and White Star.
Crab Apple Pollinators
Crab apples have long flowering periods which makes them very useful as pollination partners. Many commercial orchards inter-plant crab apples with normal apple trees to increase fruit yield. A crab apple is self fertile and will set fruit without the need of another apple tree nearby.
Crab Apple Drought Resistance
Generally speaking, Crab Apples tolerate drought reasonably well.
Sun Or Shade For Crab Apples
For best results from the flowers and fruits, a full sun position is preferred however light shade is acceptable. Excessive shade will lead to less flowers and fruits, a more open canopy and problems with Powdery Mildew. Shade and poor drainage is a good combination for bacterial and fungal issues.
Crab Apple Suckering
If your Crab Apple has been grafted (many are) then you may experience small green shoots growing out the side of the tree below the graft point (around 10-30cm above ground) Remove these by rubbing your hand across the bark or snapping off. These will not grow as the original tree you purchased.
Crab Apples With Long Lasting Fruits
For those wishing to feed the local wildlife well into Autumn and Winter, consider purchasing Comtessa De Paris , Red Sentinel and Toringo Scarlet. Other crab apple trees with almost as long lasting fruits include Admiration, Evereste, Wedding Bouquet and Rudolph
