Malus floribunda

Description: This is one of the best Crabapples for form and flower, Itis also disease resistant, an important attribute for crabapples. The profusion of fragrant, 1 to 1.5-inchdiameter blooms begin as beautiful deep pink to red buds, eventually fading to a glistening white as they open.

Botanical Name: Malus floribunda

Common Name: Japanese Flowering Crabapple

Family: Rosaceae.

Height: 5 metres.

Width: 5 metres.

Foliage: Bright green ovate leaves turn yellow in autumn.

Flower: Mildly fragrant, single flowers are borne in abundant clusters of four to seven from mid-spring. The reddish-pink outer of the petals fades to pink and the inside of the petals fades to white. The yellow stamens are prominent and add to the multi-coloured effect.

Fruit: Small, yellow and red crab apples. Insignificant. Growth Habits: Rounded and dense, with long arching branches.

Watering Needs: Adaptable to a wide range of conditions including warmer environments. Reasonably tolerant of dry conditions once established.

Light: Flowering and fruit display best in full sun. Best in deep, rich, well drained soil. Resistant to apple scab and powdery mildew and requires little or no spraying.

Disease: Although disease resistant, trees are slightly susceptible to scab and powdery mildew and have some susceptibility to fireblight.

Pest: long-term health usually not affected by pests Aphids infest branch tips and suck plant juices. Fall webworm makes nests on the branches and feeds inside the nest. Small nests can be pruned out or sprayed with Bacillus thuringiensis. Scales of various types are usually controlled with horticultural oil. Mites are too small to see easily so can cause much foliage discoloration before being detected. Mites are usually controlled with horticultural oil. Tent caterpillar builds tents or nests in trees in early summer or late spring. Feeding occurs outside the nest. Small nests are pruned out or simply pulled from the tree and caterpillars destroyed. Do not burn nests while they are still in the tree since this injures the tree and could start an uncontrolled fire.