Re: crabapples
- Subject: Re: [SG] crabapples
- From: C* P*
- Date: Mon, 8 Apr 2002 11:59:22 EDT
In a message dated 4/8/02 10:00:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
msgardens@HOTMAIL.COM writes:
<< Sergeant crabapples are pretty and tough, but what about disease-resistant?
The "Donald Wyman" crab that I planted and so looked forward to watching it
grow, was resistant to everything but rust, to which it succumbed after only
two years. Lynn >>
This is the best question on crabapples. I have a Coop Extension chart on
disease resistance in my area but Hilllier, Dirr or any of the woody books
should have the chart plus it is on the web somewhere. Crabapple lost some
of there popularity overtime in last decades from being very beautiful and
covered with many disfiguring diseases.
In general one should check those crabapples with red/purple leaves and with
bad actors in their hybrid pasts. We too, cut one down that dropped it's
leaves all summer from some disease.
Malus sargenti is free of any disease and vigorous and hardy. NYS gives it
away in spring packs for a dollar or two to encourge planting it for
wildlife food. Sargenti is not too tall, forming a rounded shape, compact
and twiggy. Good looking in the winter. Malus floribunda (Ithink I have
that correct) is a good one in the East also. This is a larger tree also
free of any disease.
It wouldn't take too much research to check the species that are resistant to
disease present in your area. There are lots of them.
Malus 'Red Jade' a weeping form and not a species is a tree that stays small
for quite a while and is very beautiful in any garden. This is usually a
graft, however, but is also entirely disease free. This tree has been on the
market for many years.
Claire Peplowski
NYSz4
