Malus Comtesse de Paris - Crab Apple

Malus 'Comtesse de Paris' is a superb ornamental apple tree that forms a large bush or a small tree over time. In April, dark pink buds appear from which emerge beautiful pure white single flowers that cover the bush. From September until winter, they produce very decorative yellow fruits, brightening up the dark days. This Flowering Apple Tree grows in ordinary soil, preferably clayey and well-draining, in a sunny location. Very hardy, it can be planted as a specimen or in a mass planting, or even as an informal hedge.

Ornamental apple trees come from various botanical species of the genus Malus belonging to the Rosaceae family, which also includes fruit-bearing apple trees, as well as most of our fruit trees (pear, peach, plum). Hardy, adaptable, and easy to grow, Flowering Apple Trees thrive in ordinary soil, but prefer deep, loose, and moist loamy soil. Once established, they can withstand neglect while maintaining their generous nature. Numerous cultivars have been developed in Europe, as well as in the United States, becoming increasingly attractive and disease-resistant. 

The 'Comtesse de Paris' apple tree is a French selection by nurseryman Jean-Pierre Hennebelle, who created a nursery in the heart of Pas-de-Calais that more closely resembles an immense ornamental garden. He enjoyed welcoming visitors with a spade in hand to select a plant from the surrounding scenery. A collector and passionate amateur, he named a number of his creations in honour of different personalities.

'Comtesse de Paris' is a large bush or small tree depending on the desired shape, which reaches about 4m (13ft) in height and 3m (10ft) in spread after 10 years, with a very aesthetic pyramidal habit. In April-May, it is covered in beautiful pure white flowers, composed of single flowers with 5 petals and a yellow stamen centre. These countless flowers emerge from very decorative dark pink buds that announce the spectacle to come. Its bright green foliage is composed of small elliptical acuminate leaves. In September, it reveals its second seasonal asset in the form of a profusion of clusters of small decorative yellow to orange fruits, which are somewhat elongated. This spectacular fruiting, which catches the eye from tens of metres away, lasts until winter, long after the leaves have fallen, making this bush one of the best decorative fruit plants.

Quite resilient, this ornamental apple tree is very resistant to cold (down to -20°C (-4°F)), as well as to scab and bacterial fire blight, two scourges among the Rosaceae family. 

Like many flowering apple trees, Malus 'Comtesse de Paris' is a good pollinator for fruit-bearing apple trees that flower early in the season. Its somewhat rustic appearance makes it suitable for wild gardens and informal hedges. You can accompany it with amelanchiers, which, like it, will enchant you with their exuberant flowering and decorative fruits, and hawthorns like the superb Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' with its dark pink flowers followed by red fruits, and whose foliage turns a beautiful autumnal red. The well-known lilac Syringa vulgaris 'Charles Joly', with its lovely deep purple flowers, will delight you with its sweet fragrance, while the European Spindle Tree, or Euonymus europaeus, will shine with its autumnal attire and curious pink and orange fruits. And to conclude on a botanical note, Rosa glauca, with its magnificent pink flowers standing out against its bluish foliage will also be a perfect companion for the 'Comtesse de Paris' in a wild hedge.