27 types of crabapple trees

Looking for a gorgeous flowering crabapple? Fortunately, there are quite a few lovely types of crabapple trees to choose from!

Crabapple trees are simply trees of the Malus genus (apples) that bear fruit measuring less than 2″ in diameter. There are hundreds of different varieties available, but many of the trees available are one of the varieties listed below. Here are 25+ of the most popular crabapple tree varieties to plant.

1. Sargent crabapple tree

The Sargent Crabapple is perhaps the most popular type of crabapple tree around. This variety is popular due to its natural dwarf size, with mature trees usually growing to a maximum of ten feet tall. This type is also known for its fragrant white flowers that open from rosy pink buds.

Sargent Crabapple fruits are dark red pea-sized crabapples. While these tiny crabapples are too small to be eaten like an apple, they are still edible and can be used to make jelly. The fruit is also very attractive to small songbirds like chickadees.

2. Royal Raindrops crabapple tree

The Royal Raindrops Crabapple is a specialty flowering crabapple tree known for its bright magenta-pink flowers, purple leaves, and large upright form. This is a top pick for a specimen tree due to its four-season interest:

• Spring bright pink blossoms
• Summer purple glossy foliage
• Autumn red and orange foliage
• Winter hanging fruits

Royal Raindrops fruits are small red pea-sized crabapples that are very attractive to birds.

3. Spring Snow crabapple tree

The Spring Snow Crabapple is one of the earliest types of crabapple trees to bloom in spring. This variety has an upright rounded form and produces white flowers that do not turn into fruits. While the birds may not love this feature, it means no mess for you to clean up!

“An apple or crab apple tree is most dramatic in spring, when its flower buds burst into pinkish white blossoms. Bloom can be prolific because each bud opens to become five flowers.”

Landscaping with Fruit, by Lee Reich

4. Lollipop crabapple tree

The Lollipop Crabapple is a dwarf variety that is perfect for small yards or gardens. This type has a compact, rounded form on top of a straight stem, similar to a standard-pruned topiary. It produces white flowers in spring, followed by small red crabapples. Lollipop is quickly becoming one of the top dwarf crabapple tree varieties!

Lollipop Crabapple fruits are small and have an orange-red color, but they are very attractive to birds. This variety is also resistant to fireblight and cedar-apple rust, two common diseases that can affect crabapple trees.

5. Dolgo crabapple tree

The Dolgo Crabapple is a popular variety that is known for its cold tolerance, large white flowers, and large crimson fruits that are well-suited to baking. While most crabapples are hardy to USDA Zone 4, Dolgo is reliably hardy down to Zone 3. This makes it a great choice for growers in colder regions who can’t grow many other types.

Dolgo Crabapple fruits are a dark red color, 1″+ in diameter, and have an oval shape. This variety is flavorful and the trees tend to produce a heavy crop each year. Dolgo is a top variety for those wishing to make crabapple jelly and baked goods.

6. Sugar Tyme crabapple tree

The Sugar Tyme Crabapple is a dwarf variety that is perfect for small yards or gardens. This type has a spreading, rounded form and produces white flowers in spring, followed by small red crabapples.

Sugar Tyme Crabapples are tiny and not especially appealing to humans, but they are a favorite of many birds. This tree variety is also resistant to common crabapple tree diseases.

7. Coralburst crabapple tree

The Coralburst Crabapple is a relatively new variety that is known for its compact size, bright coral-pink flowers, and orange-red fruits. This type has a rounded form and is a great choice for small yards or gardens.

Coralburst Crabapple fruits are small, burnt orange in color, and not especially flavorful, but like other types of crabapples, they attract lots of birds in the fall and wintertime. This modern variety is also resistant to common crabapple tree diseases.

8. Snowdrift crabapple Tree

The Snowdrift Crabapple is a dwarf variety that is perfect for small yards or gardens. This type has a spreading, rounded form and produces white flowers in spring, followed by small marble-sized orange-red crabapples.

Snowdrift Crabapple fruits are tiny and not especially appealing to humans, but they are a favorite of many birds.

9. Red Jewel crabapple tree

The Red Jewel Crabapple is a popular variety that is known for its masses of shiny crimson fruits and deep green foliage. This type has an upright slightly-narrow form, making it a good pick for smaller spaces. The variety is named for the persistent fruits that hang like tiny red ornaments from the branches all winter.

10. Adirondack crabapple Tree

The Adirondack Crabapple is a cold-hardy variety that is known for its large red fruits and deep green foliage. This type has an upright, narrow shape. The fruits are marble-sized orange crabapples that add welcome winter interest in cooler climates.

11. Purple Prince crabapple tree

The Purple Prince Crabapple is a relatively new variety that is known for its deep purple bronzed foliage and dark red ornamental fruits. This variety tends to naturally develop a rounded form with minimal pruning, making it a great landscaping tree for along a driveway or street.

12. Prairifire crabapple tree

The Prairifire Crabapple is a popular variety that is known for its masses of deep pink fragrant flowers and ornamental fruits. This is a larger variety of crabapple trees and can grow up to 20 feet tall and wide.

The flowers appear in early spring before the foliage emerges, creating a dramatic display. The delicate foliage is dark green with a purple tinge, turning a brilliant orange-gold in the fall.

13. Robinson crabapple tree

The Robinson Crabapple is a cold-hardy variety that is known for its incredible masses of pink flowers in springtime, as well as its overall four-season interest. This type has not only slightly bicolor green and purple foliage but also turns bright orange in autumn, which highlights the red fruit.

14. Profusion crabapple tree

The Profusion Crabapple is a larger variety known for its exceptional volume of bright pink blossoms in the spring and a heavy crop of mainly-ornamental red crabapples in the fall. It’s a relatively low-maintenance tree and can be easily pruned to control its size.

15. Harvest Gold crabapple tree

The Harvest Gold Crabapple is a larger variety that’s known for its beautiful yellow foliage in the fall. It has a moderate growth rate and blooms white flowers in the spring followed by small, dark yellow-orange crabapples in the fall.

16. Donald Wyman crabapple tree

The Donald Wyman Crabapple is a medium to a large variety that’s known for its excellent resistance to fire blight, a common disease in crabapples. This type is also quite tolerant of both salty soil and of moderate drought conditions. It has a moderate growth rate and blooms white flowers in the spring followed by small, dark red crabapples in the fall.

17. Whitney crabapple tree

The Whitney Crabapple is a heritage type of crabapple well-known for its high-quality edible fruit. The heirloom crabapples are juicy and sweet-tart and can be used for baking pies, jelly, or even for fresh eating. These crabapples are yellow with pretty red stripes.

The Whitney Crabapple grows to be about 14 feet tall and 12 feet wide. The Whitney Crabapple is a popular choice for gardens and landscaping because it is disease resistant and has a long blooming season.

18. Callaway crabapple tree

The Callaway Crabapple is a type of crabapple that is known for its showy flowers and high-quality bicolor edible fruit. The flowers are white with pink centers, and they bloom in the springtime. The crabapples are sweet-tart and usually about 1″ wide in diameter. The Callaway Crabapple grows to be about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

19. Siberian crabapple tree

The Siberian Crabapple is a species type of crabapple that is known for its beautiful white flowers and edible fruit. The flowers bloom in the springtime and are followed by small, yellow-green apples. The apples are tart and can be used for baking or jelly. The Siberian Crabapple grows to be about 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide.

20. Prairie crabapple tree

The Prairie Crabapple is a type of crabapple that is known for its hardy nature and beautiful white flowers. Also known as Iowa Crabapple or Wild Crabapple, this type grows wild in some midwestern climates. The crabapples themselves tend to be a yellow-green color (like a Golden Delicious or even a Granny Smith) and are very attractive to birds. The Prairie Crabapple grows to be about 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide.

21. Louisa crabapple tree

The Louisa Crabapple is a type of crabapple that is known for its weeping form. The small crabapples are red with yellow streaks, and they can be used for baking or fresh eating, but are best left for the birds. The Louisa Crabapple grows to be about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

22. Marilee crabapple tree

The Marilee Crabapple is a type of crabapple that is known for its neat cone shape, showy flowers, and fruitlessness. The flowers are white with pink centers, and they bloom in the springtime. The Marilee Crabapple grows to be about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

23. Cinderella crabapple tree

The Cinderella Crabapple is a specialty dwarf crabapple cultivar known for its masses of white flowers in springtime and ornamental yellow-orange fruit in the fall. This variety has green leaves in the summer that turn a golden-yellow tone in the fall. This crabapple variety is small enough to plant in a container as a patio tree!

24. Radiant crabapple tree

The Radiant Crabapple is a larger rounded crabapple cultivar that is known for its showy pink flowers which appear in early to mid-spring. This variety can easily grow up to 20 feet tall, and the fruit it produces is a dark red color (sometimes with yellow streaks). The Radiant Crabapple is a popular choice for landscaping because it has a long blooming season and is disease resistant.

25. Velvet Pillar crabapple tree

The Velvet Pillar Crabapple is a smaller cultivar that is known for its dense, somewhat columnar growth habit. This type of crabapple tree can grow up to 20 feet tall and only about 12 feet wide, making it a good choice for small gardens or as a specimen plant. The Velvet Pillar Crabapple has pink flowers which bloom in the spring, maturing to crimson-red ornamental fruits in the fall.

26. Centennial crabapple tree

The Centennial Crabapple is a type of crabapple known for its white flowers which bloom in early to mid-spring, and its high-quality edible crabapples. Centennial Bred from the popular Dolgo variety described above, the crabapples are sweet-tart and can be used for making applesauce, apple pie, or simply eating fresh right off the tree.

These crabapples are yellow and red, like many edible crabapple varieties. The tree is resistant to cedar-apple rust disease but is more susceptible to apple scab than some other culinary cultivars.

27. Pink Spires crabapple tree

The Pink Spires Crabapple is a type of crabapple known for its showy pink flowers which bloom in early to mid-spring. This cultivar also has attractive green leaves which turn a yellow-gold color in the fall. The Pink Spires Crabapple is quite cold-hardy and grows to be about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

“There are approximately 1000 different known varieties, of which perhaps 100 are most commonly planted nationally. These vary by mature size, growth habit, flower color, and the size/color of fruit.”

Flowering Crabapple Trees, Colorado State University

FAQs

Resources

• Types of apple trees
• When to fertilize fruit trees

References

• Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
• Landscaping with Fruit, by Lee Reich
• Flowering Crabapple Trees, Colorado State University
• The Best Crabapple Cultivars for North Dakota, North Dakota State University