Crabapple trees light up spring landscapes with their fragrant blooms. The springtime show is followed by jewel-like fruit that attracts birds and adds pretty fall color. There are many varieties, but here are the best crabapple trees for colorful flowers, showy fruit, and fall foliage. In addition, crabapple trees (Malus spp.) have good disease resistance when planted in a sunny spot.
‘Adams’
Add some rosy color to your landscape with ‘Adams’ flowering crabapple. Small, glossy, red crabapples with blood-red pulp follow its abundant semi-double deep pink blooms. The fruit matures in the fall, persists in the winter, and attracts birds. This tree’s green leaves also have reddish tints in spring, turning orange and red in the fall. In addition, this variety has good resistance to the major diseases that can affect crabapples.
Form: Broadly rounded
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Adirondack’
The ‘Adirondack’ crabapple’s long-lasting, deep pink buds are known to open into nearly pure white flowers. Its blooms develop into abundant orange-red fruits that hang on into early winter. Adirondack’s leaves are green most of the year before turning yellow in fall. The relatively upright form of this crabapple makes it a perfect choice for narrow spaces in the landscape as a hedge or an espalier. The tree has excellent resistance to apple scab, powdery mildew, and cedar-apple rust and exhibits good resistance to fire blight.
Form: Narrow, upright oval
Size: Up to 18 feet tall and 10 feet wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Callaway’
The large red fruits of ‘Callaway’ crabapple trees are good for making tart jelly and attracting birds to the garden. The tree blooms in mid-spring with single white fragrant flowers. Its leaves emerge green and turn shades of yellow, orange, and red in fall. It is one of the best crabapple trees for southern areas because it has a low chill requirement for flowering and fruiting. It also has excellent resistance to scab, fire blight, powdery mildew, and cedar-apple rust, even through hot, humid summer conditions.
Form: Oval, rounded
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide
Zones: 5–8
‘Cinderella’
If you want a crabapple tree but think your yard doesn’t have room for one, take another look at ‘Cinderella’ (Malus ‘Cinzam’). This dwarf crabapple tree fits almost any landscape or container garden. It’s a compact plant with densely packed white blooms and golden yellow fruits. Its green foliage turns golden yellow in autumn. It has good resistance to apple scab and excellent resistance to fire blight, powdery mildew, and cedar-apple rust.
Form: Oval, dwarf
Size: Up to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide
Zones: 4–9
‘Harvest Gold’
A late-flowering crabapple tree with pink buds that open to single white blooms, ‘Harvest Gold’ is often considered the best gold-fruited crabapple. Its bright yellow fruits last into winter, and its green foliage turns yellow in fall. The tree’s shape makes it a good small shade tree and an attractive flowering and fruiting ornamental plant. It also has good resistance to all four major crabapple diseases: Fire blight, apple scab, powdery mildew, and cedar-apple rust.
Form: Upright oval
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and 25 feet wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Louisa’
The spreading, weeping form of ‘Louisa’ has a graceful appearance. Clusters of delicate pink blooms cover its arching branches, followed by amber-yellow pea-size fruits that mature in fall and hang on into winter. Its foliage is glossy dark green and turns yellow in autumn. If left unpruned, its branches drape to the ground. The tree has excellent scab resistance and good resistance to fire blight, cedar-apple rust, and powdery mildew.
Form: Spreading to weeping
Size: Up to 15 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Prairifire’
Pinkish-red flower buds on the ‘Prairifire’ crabapple tree open to deep pink blooms. The flowers are followed by masses of purplish-red fruits that attract birds. The tree’s leaves emerge purplish, mature to bronzy green, and develop a yellow-orange glow in autumn. Its reddish-brown bark, similar to that of cherry trees, looks especially eye-catching when contrasted with a blanket of snow.
Form: Upright
Size: Up to 20 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Profusion’
Named for its abundant magenta pink blooms, ‘Profusion’ crabapple has many attractive landscape qualities. Its foliage emerges purple, turns bronzy green in summer, and rounds out the season with mottled yellow, orange, and green tones. The tree develops ruby-red fruits that can be harvested for jellies. The foliage has excellent resistance to cedar-apple rust, good resistance to fire blight, and powdery mildew, but only fair resistance to apple scab.
Form: Rounded, spreading
Size: Up to 20 feet tall and 35 feet wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Red Jewel’
‘Red Jewel’ (Malus ‘Jewelcole’) lives up to its name by producing abundant cherry-red fruits after its large, white flowers bloom. The fruits remain on the tree until the following spring in mild-winter areas. This variety’s green foliage turns yellow in fall. The tree’s shape remains fairly narrow, so it’s a good choice for smaller yards. The tree also has good disease resistance, but occasional fire blight or powdery mildew may develop.
Form: Irregular oval
Size: Up to 12 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Robinson’
Known for being a fast-growing cultivar, ‘Robinson’ crabapple has pale pink blooms that develop into dark red fruits, which persist on the tree into winter. Its leaves emerge purple but turn bronze-green as they mature, then take on bright orange fall color. Apple scab, fire blight, cedar-apple rust, and powdery mildew rarely affect this tree’s foliage.
Form: Upright when young; rounded with age
Size: Up to 25 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Royal Raindrops’
The easy-to-grow crabapple tree ‘Royal Raindrops’ (Malus ‘JFS-KW5’) begins the season with magenta-pink blooms that develop into persistent red fruits. Its unique deep purple cut-leaf foliage in the summer is an outstanding ornamental feature. In autumn, the foliage turns a mix of orange, scarlet, bronze, and purple. This small tree’s strong branching pattern and dense canopy hold up well in windy sites.
Form: Upright rounded to vase shape
Size: Up to 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Snowdrift’
It’s safe to assume that with a name like ‘Snowdrift’, this crabapple variety produces pure white blossoms in spring. The fragrant blooms are followed by orange-red fruits that hang on the tree well into fall. The tree has glossy green leaves in summer and reliably provides muted yellow fall color. Occasional fire blight and scab can affect it.
Form: Rounded to upright spreading
Size: Up to 20 feet tall and wide
Zones: 4–8
‘Sugar Tyme’
‘Sugar Tyme’ crabapple (Malus ‘Sutyzam’) is a prolific bearer with pink buds that open to pure white fragrant blossoms. The showy flowers are followed by masses of small, glossy, red fruits that mature in autumn and hang on the tree into winter. Its dark green leaves develop muted fall colors of mottled green, yellow, and orange. It’s no wonder this disease-resistant tree looks spectacular all year long.
Form: Oval
Size: Up to 18 feet tall and 15 feet wide
Zones: 4–8
Tips for Choosing the Best Tree for Your Yard
Before buying a tree (or a few) for your yard, take stock of your space and needs. If you want a tall shade tree, make sure there aren’t any power lines that could be damaged as your tree grows bigger. Check that the tree you choose will do well in your hardiness zone, which is determined by the temperatures where you live. You’ll want to know what kind of shedding the tree does—some trees drop fruit that can create messes and attract vermin, while others are evergreen. The amount of upkeep for trees varies based on their type.
Crabapple trees live for decades and become an integral part of your landscaping, so making the right choices is worthwhile.
