Crabapple Trees
Crabapple Trees: Beauty Or Beast?
Crabapples trees are a member of the Malus family of plants, which translates to “the apples.” The name is rather fitting, though the fruit given has been receiving mixed reviews for centuries. Most crabapple trees give a red, small fruit, but there are some who will offer a beautiful yellow apple. They are deciduous plants, and tend to be small in stature, rarely gaining heights over 12 feet. When all else fails, this sturdy, hardy little tree makes a great climbing post for children, and the chipped bark and wood are great for smoking meats. If you wish to get more familiar with the crabapple trees in your yard, there are a few things that you need to know.
An estimated 35 species of crabapple grow wild, and most of them have been tamed for landscaping and botany. Crabapple trees almost always give a very bitter, sour fruit, and their fruit is therefore not the most cherished yield given. The blossoms, however, are an absolutely beautiful spectacle to behold, flushing the tree with pale whites to brilliant pinks during the peak early summer season. Bonsai art employs this little, robust flowering tree for a keen and striking piece, giving abundant fragrance and rich color to the small, immaculate gardens where they are nurtured. The fruit is often yielded early, before it has a chance to mature and steal valuable nutrients from the tree. This allows the crabapple trees to be pruned heavily, maintaining their manageable size, and to flower more abundantly the following season.
There are instances when certain crabapple trees give more favorable fruit, though eating them as a snack is bound to cause most people a bit of a bellyache. The extract and juices from these bitter little apples can produce a strong and spicy jelly which is high in nutritious pectin. Many cider makers will add a few crabapples to their special recipes, giving and extra zip and zing to their tasty offerings. Crabapple trees are also called upon as pollinators in edible apple orchards, being placed as the sixth tree in every row. The ample blooms offered by the crabapple varieties keep the orchard bees happily working on those trees that aren’t quite up to task.
Overall, crabapple trees are highly resistant to disease, and can flourish in very harsh climates. The fruit is best raked up and disposed of after the giving season, however, as they can cause quite a mess and a bit of a bug problem if left to lay. There are quite a few subspecies and botanist creations available in greenhouses today, and you may be surprised at what a few crabapple trees can do for your yard. Some, such as the shrub varieties, can even be planted close to your home without worry of root damage to your foundation.