Malus Adirondack - Crabapple

Malus 'Adirondack' (also known as 'Admiration') is a selection of ornamental apple tree that has many advantages. It is a variety with moderate growth, particularly floriferous and fruit-bearing, almost immune to diseases. Its almost white spring blossom is superb and it is covered with small orange-red fruits in autumn. It maintains a beautiful habit even when mature. Useful for bees and highly birds, this small tree also serves as a good pollinator for fruit-bearing apple trees. It is suitable for small gardens.

Ornamental apple trees come from various botanical species of the genus Malus belonging to the Rosaceae family. Hardy, adaptable, and easy to grow, Flowering Apples tolerate ordinary soil but prefer loamy, deep, loose, and moist soil, as well as sunny exposures. Once established, they can be forgotten while maintaining their generous character. Numerous cultivars have been developed in Europe and the United States, becoming increasingly attractive and disease-resistant. 'Adirondack' is a selection by Donald R. Egolf (USA) dating back to 1974. This variety stands out for its resistance to diseases such as fire blight, rust, powdery mildew, and scab. It also tolerates salt spray. Its ancestor, Malus halliana, known as Hall's Crabapple, is a species native to East Asia, particularly China.

Malus 'Admiration' is a small tree that develops an initially narrow crown, which widens and spreads somewhat with age, but remains upright. Its growth is quite slow, regardless of the rootstock used. Its average dimensions at maturity are around 5 m in all directions. It develops a brown bark. The remarkably abundant flowering takes place between late April and May, more or less early depending on the regions, on branches which are still bare or barely covered with very young leaves. It consists of numerous purplish pink buds that quickly open into single, 4 to 4.5 cm diameter flowers. Their colour is white with a touch of red. These flowers, gathered in small clusters, are followed by the leaves. The flowering, visited by bees, is followed by the formation of numerous fruits measuring between 1 and 2 cm in diameter. When ripe, in September-October, they turn reddish-orange. These tiny apples remain on the branches for a long time if not eaten by birds. The deciduous foliage is medium green in and turns yellow in autumn before falling. The leaves are ovate, alternate, and toothed.

Malus 'Adirondack' is suitable for medium-sized and small gardens. Its charming flowering may be less long-lasting than that of a flowering cherry tree, but it is prolonged by the appeal of its fruit. You can plant it near the orchard, as it is an excellent pollinator for your apple trees. It easily pairs with other shrubs with spring flowering, such as star magnolias or Japanese quinces. When space allows, ornamental apple trees, planted in a large hedge on a slope bordering a sunken path, create a rather magical scene in spring and also autumn, as their colours are often magnificent at the end of the season.