Crabapple
Crabapples can be wonderful small trees for the Colorado Springs area. They bloom in mid-May with gorgeous flowers that range in color from white to pink. Once established, crabapple trees can be quite drought tolerant.
There are many different cultivars available for sale. Be sure to choose a cultivar that is resistant to fireblight, doesn't get larger than desired when mature, and has the desired fruiting habit (no fruit produced, edible fruit that drops in fall, or persistent fruit that hangs on the tree into winter).
Check with Colorado State University for recommended crabapple cultivars.
Crabapple
Crabapples can be wonderful small trees for the Colorado Springs area. They bloom in mid-May with gorgeous flowers that range in color from white to pink. Once established, crabapple trees can be quite drought tolerant.
There are many different cultivars available for sale. Be sure to choose a cultivar that is resistant to fireblight, doesn't get larger than desired when mature, and has the desired fruiting habit (no fruit produced, edible fruit that drops in fall, or persistent fruit that hangs on the tree into winter).
Check with Colorado State University for recommended crabapple cultivars.
Plant details
Botanic Name
Malus
Pronunciation
MAL-us
Mature Height
15 to 30 ft.
Mature Spread
15 to 30 ft.
Water usage
One Droplet: Water twice per month or less, once established.
Two Droplets: Water about once per week, once established.
Three Droplets: Water about twice per week, once established.
Flower Color
white, pink, or fuschia depending on the cultivar
Bloom time
May
Colorado Native
No
Natural Habitat
temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia
Light Requirements
sun
Cold Hardiness
USDA zones 3-7
Elevation Limit
hardy to 8,000 ft.
Performance
At the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden, we have an 'Adams' crabapple. It has dark pink flowers in spring and persistent fruit into winter. The leaves turn yellow to orange in fall. 'Adams' is very resistant to fireblight.
Maintenance
Prune when young to create a healthy, well-shaped specimen tree. Some cultivars drop their fruit in the fall, which can be messy. Other cultivars do not produce fruit at all or the fruit persist on the tree until eaten by birds.