Sunday, November 26, 2006

Harvest Gold Crabapple (Malus x ‘Harvest Gold’)




Harvest Gold Crabapple
(Malus x ‘Harvest Gold’)

Growing Crabapples is always a mixed bag for me. If the conditions are right they are one of the most beautiful flowering trees in this area. Often times the conditions are not right and you end up with a fungus and insect ridden tree. This doesn’t seem to affect the growth or life of the tree. Selection of a disease resistant type is paramount to your being happy with your Crabapple. I think siting the tree is another important element. It is fine for the field or the end of a border but I will not plant them as a specimen lawn tree. Another thing that happens to Crabapples is when they are blooming if there are heavy rains the flowers all turn to a brown mush. The fruit is nice but the birds often get it fast. It is persistent when left by the birds.

I haven’t grown M. x ‘Harvest Gold’ as this picture was shot in someone else’s garden. They have been happy with its performance. It has white flowers, yellow apples and grows to 25 feet. The soft red pedicels are a nice contrast to the yellow fruit. This particular tree was about 15 feet with a good branching structure and a good crop of the apples.

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