Recommended Crabapples for Midwestern Landscapes

Crabapples (Malus spp.) are among the most widely planted ornamental trees in the upper Midwest.

a row of Prairifire crabapple trees in bloom — Prairifire Crabapple (Malus 'Prairifire')

They are grown primarily for their colorful spring flowers, ranging from white/pink to red and reddish-purple. But many crabapples possess other, equally interesting ornamental features. Summertime leaves from dark green to burgundy eventually give way to colorful and persistent fruit displays in fall and early winter. Finally, bold and unique growth habits and branching patterns provide interest in the winter landscape.

When selecting a crabapple for the home landscape, consider all ornamental features (flowers, fruit display, growth habit, etc.) mature size, and resistance to insect feeding and disease-causing pathogens.

A sampling of some of the best crabapple selections is provided below.

Recommended Crabapple Cultivars for Iowa

Cultivars are listed by overall size from smallest to largest.

Taxa	Flower	Fruit	Height/Width	Form	Limitations
'Cinzam' (Cinderella^®)	White	Gold	8’/5’	Rounded	Slow-growing.
'Camzam' (Camelot^®)	Fuchsia-pink	Burgundy	10’/8’	Rounded	Rank growth must be pruned from tree to keep it dwarf; not much late-season interest.
'Louisa'	Rose-pink	Amber	10’/15’	Weeping	Fruit are ornamentally insignificant.
sargentii 'Select A' (Firebird^®)	White	Red	10’/18’	Rounded	None known.
'JFS-KW207' (Sparkling Sprite™)	White	Yellow-gold	12’/12	Rounded	None known.
'Rejzam' (Rejoice™)	Rose-pink	Burgundy	12-15’/6-8’	Upright	None known.
'Malusquest' (Pink Sparkles^®)	Pink-white	Red	15’/12’	Upright	None known.
'Jewelcole' (Red Jewel^®)	White	Red	15’/12’	Pyramidal	None known.
'JFS KW218MX' (Snow Crystal™)	White	Gold-orange	15’/12’	Pyramidal	None known.
'Coralcole' (Coralburst^®)	Coral-red/pink	Very few	15’/15’	Rounded	None known.
'Orange Crush'	Rose-red	Red	15’/15’	Rounded	None known.
'Adirondack'	White	Orange-red	18’/10’	Upright	Slow-growing.
'Doubloons'	Double white	Yellow	18’/16’	Rounded	Alternate bloom.
'JFS-KW213MX' (Raspberry Spear™)	Magenta	Maroon	20’/8’	Columnar	None known.
'Durleo' (Gladiator™)	Pink	Red purple	20’/9’	Upright	None known.
'JFS-KW5' (Royal Raindrops™)	Pinkish-red	Red	20’/15’	Upright	None known.
'Donald Wyman'	White	Bright red	20’/20’	Rounded	Apple scab noted; fruit mummies persist until spring.
'Prairifire'	Pinkish-red	Dark red	20’/20’	Rounded	Requires pruning to correct overcrowded branching.
'JFS KW139MX' (Ruby Dayze™)	Magenta-pink	Red	22’/16’	Upright-oval	None known.
'Shotizam' (Show Time™)	Pinkish-red	Red	25’/15-20’	Oval	None known.

Authors:

Dr. Jeff Iles

Last reviewed:

October 2022