Kindly sponsored by
Francine: 'after many informative Tours and Study Days with the IDS I feel it only fitting to help and promote such a wonderful organisation'
Julian Sutton (species), Nick Dunn (cultivars) (2021)
Recommended citation
Sutton, J. & Dunn, N. (2021), 'Malus Cultivars S' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
We aim to include the most important contemporary ornamental cultivars in Europe and North America, a few likely to become so, and a selection of significant older varieties. Orchard apples are excluded. Where a cultivar can confidently be attributed to a species or hybrid nothospecies, we duplicate the description there, but these cultivar pages include everything.
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus toringo 'Scarlett'
Malus sieboldii 'Scarlett'
Awards
AGM
Growth Rate/Size: Small (<4 m)
Form/shape/habit: Rounded, dense
Foliage: Large, lobed, purple
Flower colour: Deep pink
Flower size: Large (>4 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Early
Fruit size: Very small (<1 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Dark purple
Fruit season: Mid
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Resistant
Parentage/origin: Hybrid seedling of M. toringo
Raiser/collector: Ole Boensdorff Plantescole, Bjaeverskov, Denmark
Date of introduction: 1986
General notes: A sister seedling to M. ‘Freja’ whose large, deep pink flowers contrast with lobed purple leaves. One of few crabapples to have excellent autumn leaf colours of gold and copper in the UK. The small, well-polished purple fruit add a further lovely feature to this outstanding tree.
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus SCARLET BRANDYWINE®
Growth Rate/Size: Medium (<6 m)
Form/shape/habit: Rounded, open
Foliage: Dark green
Flower colour: Pink
Flower size: Large (>4 cm)
Flower form: Densely double, fragrant
Flower season: Late
Fruit size: Medium (<3 cm)
Fruit shape: Round, ribbed
Fruit colour: Bronze green
Fruit season: Late
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Resistant
Parentage/origin: Seedling of M. ‘Brazam’ (BRANDYWINE®)
Raiser/collector: Charles Klehm, IL, USA
Date of introduction: By 2004 (UK 2019)
General notes: A superb introduction for the deep pink, densely double, fragrant flowers which are surprisingly fertile, giving a good showing of large, attractive fruit. The tree has a good constitution, vigorous when young. Highly recommended.
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus transitoria 'Schmidtcutleaf'
Malus GOLDEN RAINDROPS®
Growth Rate/Size: Medium (<6 m)
Form/shape/habit: Vase shaped with horizontal side branches
Foliage: Green, deeply lobed
Flower colour: White from pink buds
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Late
Fruit size: Very small (<1 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Bright yellow
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Highly resistant, except to fireblight
Parentage/origin: Said to be a clone of M. transitoria
Raiser/collector: J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., Boring, OR, USA
Date of introduction: By 1994
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus FIREBIRD®
Malus toringo var. sargentii 'Select A'
Growth Rate/Size: Small (<4 m)
Form/shape/habit: Initially rounded, spreading later
Foliage: Green
Flower colour: White
Flower size: Small (<3 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Late
Fruit size: Very small (<1 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Bright red
Fruit season: Persistent
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Highly resistant
Parentage/origin: Open pollinated seedling from M. toringo var. sargentii
Raiser/collector: Mike Yanny, Johnson’s Nursery, WI, USA
Date of introduction: About 2002
General notes: Selected for more persistent fruit than its parent; a less spreading, initially more upright habit; and scab resistance. PP 12621 granted 2002.
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus SHOWTIME™
Growth Rate/Size: Large (>6 m)
Form/shape/habit: Upright, pyramidal
Foliage: Dark green flushed red, especially when young
Flower colour: Bright pink
Flower form: Single
Fruit size: Small (<2 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Red
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Highly resistant
Raiser/collector: James Zampini, Lake County Nursery, OH, USA
Date of introduction: By 2009
General notes: Dark reddish bark. Marketed as a replacement for ‘Prairifire’.
Growth Rate/Size: Small (<4 m)
Form/shape/habit: Rounded, open
Foliage: Small, young growth copper-tinted.
Flower colour: Light purplish-pink
Flower size: Large (>4 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Early
Fruit size: Medium (<3 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Carmine and orange
Fruit season: Early
Disease resistance/susceptibility: High susceptibility
Parentage/origin: M. baccata × M. sieversii f. niedzwetzkyana
Raiser/collector: Isabella Preston, Ontario, Canada
Date of introduction: 1928
General notes: Well admired when first introduced, and perhaps the first rosybloom cultivar to be grown in Britain; now somewhat dated. This cultivar can put on a spectacular flower display before it succumbs to scab in later summer. It also tends to be biennial. Named for Lake Simcoe, Ontario.
Growth Rate/Size: Small (<4 m)
Form/shape/habit: Upright, spreading
Foliage: Small, regular
Flower colour: White from pink buds
Flower size: Medium (<4 cm)
Flower form: Double
Flower season: Mid
Fruit size: Very small (<1 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Yellow
Fruit season: Early
Disease resistance/susceptibility: High susceptibility
Parentage/origin: M. ‘Katherine’ × M. ‘Almey’
Raiser/collector: William Flemer, Princeton Nurseries, NJ, USA
Date of introduction: 1969
General notes: One of only a few double white flowered varieties. When in full bloom it can be spectacular. Sadly, its issue is the high susceptibility to leaf scab during the growing season. PP 2913 granted 1969.
Growth Rate/Size: Small (<4 m)
Form/shape/habit: Oval, dense
Foliage: Small, glossy green
Flower colour: White from light pink buds
Flower size: Medium (<4 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Mid
Fruit size: Very small (<1 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Orange-red
Fruit season: Mid
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Low susceptibility
Parentage/origin: Chance seedling of unknown parentage
Raiser/collector: Cole Nursery Co., OH, USA
Date of introduction: 1965
General notes: Spectacular in flower, and a good collectors’ tree.
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus hupehensis 'Strawberry Parfait'
Growth Rate/Size: Medium (<6 m)
Form/shape/habit: Vase shaped
Foliage: Small, red-purple
Flower colour: Pink
Flower size: Small (<3 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Mid
Fruit size: Very small (<1 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Yellow with red blush
Fruit season: Early
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Resistant
Parentage/origin: M. hupehensis × (M. × atrosanguinea)
Raiser/collector: William Flemmer III, Princeton Nurseries, NJ, USA
Date of introduction: 1982
General notes: Interesting for its compact shape and good disease resistance. Both flower and fruit are modest. PP 4632 granted 1981.
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus baccata 'Street Parade'
Malus baccata 'Pyramidalis Grandiflora' nom. inval.
Growth Rate/Size: Medium (<6 m)
Form/shape/habit: Upright vase
Foliage: Broadly elliptic, olive green
Flower colour: White from pink buds
Flower size: Medium (<4 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Mid
Fruit size: Small (<2 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Dark red, shiny
Fruit season: Late
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Resistant
Parentage/origin: Seedling of M. baccata
Raiser/collector: T. van den Oever B. V., Haaren, The Netherlands
Date of introduction: 1982
General notes: A small tree with a narrow crown used mostly for street and landscape planting in Europe, but probably worthy of some garden use. The pure white flowers and contrasting green leaves make a cheerful sight. One disadvantage is that the fruit tend to deteriorate on the tree rather than dropping cleanly.
(Description duplicated under Malus baccata ‘Street Parade’)
Awards
AGM
Growth Rate/Size: Small (<2 m)
Form/shape/habit: Semi-weeping/umbrella
Foliage: Narrowly pointed, green
Flower colour: White from red buds
Flower size: Small (<3 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Mid
Fruit size: Very small (<1 cm)
Fruit shape: Round
Fruit colour: Bright red, glossy
Fruit season: Mid
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Resistant
Parentage/origin: Unknown
Raiser/collector: Long Ashton Research Station, Bristol, UK
Date of introduction: 1975 by Highfield Nurseries, Whitminster, Gloucestershire
General notes: A very graceful small tree with good disease resistance, flower and fruit quality. The flowering period is long, late-developing buds still opening as the early flowers fade. It was introduced as an excellent replacement for the very disease prone M. ‘Red Jade’.
Synonyms / alternative names
Malus SUGAR TYME®
Growth Rate/Size: Medium (< 6m)
Form/shape/habit: Upright, oval
Foliage: Narrowly pointed, green
Flower colour: White from pink buds
Flower size: Small (<3 cm)
Flower form: Single
Flower season: Mid
Fruit size: Small (<2 cm)
Fruit shape: Round with prominent calyx
Fruit colour: Bright red
Fruit season: Late
Disease resistance/susceptibility: Resistant
Parentage/origin: Self-sown seedling from M. × zumi ‘Calocarpa’
Raiser/collector: Milton Baron, MI, USA
Date of introduction: About 1989, by Lake County Nursery, OH
General notes: This is a pretty tree with a good showing of flower, and fruit that persist well into winter. The long, narrow, green leaves remain fresh and vibrant in contrast to the fruit well into October. PP 7062 granted 1989.