Malus Brandy Magic - Crab Apple

Malus domestica 'Brandy Magic' is a vigorous variety of ornamental apple tree that charms with its rich pink spring flowering, its decorative and fragrant fruiting, and its beautiful autumn foliage. Its pink flowers are large and semi-double. Its small, brightly coloured apples emit an intense apple fragrance. Note that this apple tree is very hardy, its leaves and fruits fall quite early in the season, and it is moderately susceptible to apple scab.

Ornamental apple trees come from various botanical species of the genus Malus belonging to the Rosaceae family. Hardy, accommodating, and easy to grow, flowering apple trees are content with ordinary soil, but prefer loamy, deep, loose, and moist soil, as well as sunny exposures. Once established, they tolerate neglect while maintaining their generous nature. Numerous cultivars have emerged in Europe, as well as in the United States, which are always more attractive and disease-resistant.

Malus 'Brandy Magic' is a small tree or large bush with an upright and narrow habit in its youth, but with a spreading crown as it ages. It develops rather upright scaffold branches and a generally ovate crown. Its average dimensions at maturity are about 6m (20ft) in height and 5m (16ft) in spread. The abundant flowering takes place in April or May depending on the regions, on bare branches or barely covered with very young bronze-coloured leaves. It takes the form of numerous flower buds of intense pink. They quickly open into semi-double flowers, about 4cm (2in) in diameter, in shades of dark pink to light pink. The flowering is popular with bees. These flowers, gathered in small clusters, are followed by the leaves.  Small flattened apples measuring 3 to 4cm (1 to 2in) in diameter then appear. When ripe in September, they are very fragrant, yellow on the shaded side, and a vibrant orange-red on the sun-exposed side. They remain on the branches for a short time and are sought after by some birds. You can eat them as they are, or use them to make a compote. The deciduous foliage is dark green in summer, before turning to an intense red-yellow and then reddish-brown in October before falling. It consists of ovate, alternate, and dentate leaves.

Malus 'Brandy Magic' suits medium-sized gardens and large plots. Its abundant flowering may be less long-lasting than that of a flowering cherry tree, but it is extended by the beauty of its fruits. You can easily plant it with other fruit trees for small gardens. It also accompanies large shrub roses, lilacs, or even hawthorns. When there is enough space, ornamental apple trees, planted in a large hedge on a slope bordering a sunken path, create a rather enchanting scene in spring, as well as in autumn with their often magnificent colours at the end of the season.