The Best Crabapple Trees

Determining which crabapple tree is the best is mostly a matter of preference. But with all the varieties available, a few rank among the top. These varieties all have either an excellent or good resistance to the four major diseases that frequently afflict crabapples: fire blight, apple scab, cedar-apple rust and powdery mildew. Keep in mind, however, that disease resistance varies from location to location and even year to year due a number of factors such as amount of rainfall and disease intensity.

Willows are not the only trees that weep; crabapples do too. Varieties with white blossoms include Tina, Sinai Fire and Molten Lava. Tina is the smallest weeping crabapple, as it grows only 5 feet high. Sinai Fire grows about 15 feet tall. Molten Lava has yellow bark and grows about 12 feet tall. If you'd rather have pink flowers, Louisa and Ludwick are good choices. Louisa grows about 15 feet tall with a similar spread; Ludwick, only half that size.

When looking for red crabapple trees, four cultivars are among the most disease resistant: Prairiefire, Indian Summer, Red Barron and Centurion. All three grow about 18 to 20 feet tall with a similar or slightly smaller spread. Prairiefire has red buds, dark red blossoms and a purplish-red fruit. Indian Summer has red blossoms and an autumn color that's orange-red. Red Barron is the narrowest of the four, with only an 8-foot spread at maturity. It also has purplish leaves in the spring and a persistent red fruit. Centurion has dark pink buds that turn into red blossoms followed by cherry-red fruit.

If looking for a taller tree, Robinson grows about 25 feet tall with a similar spread. It has crimson pink flowers and red fruit. Slightly smaller at only 25 feet high is Adams. It has greenish-red leaves and red buds that open into pink flowers. Brandywine offers fragrant double-flowered pink flowers, an exfoliating bark and a maroon fall color, but has a messy fruit. Coralburst is a good choice for a smaller tree, as it grows only 12 feet tall and has semi-double pink flowers.

The hardest part about finding a good, tall, white crabapple is that quite a few are available to choose from. Adriondack is not as all tall as some of the others, only about 12 to 18 feet tall, but has an excellent resistance to disease. Centennial and Dolgo are two of the tallest choices. Both have pink buds that open into white flowers. Centennial grows about 25 feet tall; Dolgo can grow up to 40 feet tall. Other options include Professor Sprenger, Ralph Shay and Sentinel. All three have pink buds and grow about 20 feet tall.

Sargentii (Malus sargentii) grows about 10 feet tall with a 14-foot spread and has pale pink buds. Tina grows about 5 feet tall with a similar spread. Sargent and Jewelberry grow about 8 feet tall with a 12-foot spread. Sargent is known for its providing lots of of fragrant flowers and fruit every other year. A slightly taller choice is Adirondack. It grows about 12 to 18 feet tall, with a slightly narrower spread.