Malus POM'ZAI - Crabapple

Malus POM'ZAI ® 'Courtabri' is a dwarf form of the ornamental crab apple tree Evereste® 'Perpetu' with all its qualities, but more compact for a small garden or in a medium-height hedge. In spring, this shrub forms a true ball of white flowers and pink buds. In autumn, its foliage turns yellow and orange and is adorned with a profusion of small orange fruits that will persist on the branches long after the leaves have fallen, much to the delight of birds.

Ornamental crab apple trees belong to the large family of Rosaceae. They are derived from various botanical species of the genus Malus. Many cultivars have been created in Europe, as well as in the United States, always more attractive and resistant to diseases. The Malus 'Pom'Zai' 'Courtabri' is the result of cross-breeding, with Malus floribunda among others. It is a disease-resistant plant that was selected by INRA in Paris in 1990.

'Pom'Zai' is an ideal variety for small spaces, due to its low development and slow growth. Bushy in nature, this naturally rounded and branching apple tree reaches approximately 2.50 m in all directions by the age of 15. Its leaves are ovate, arranged alternately on the branches. They are dark green and take on warm shades of yellow and orange in autumn before falling. This small apple tree displays a spectacular flowering in April, covering itself with floral buds of a lovely pink that open into pure white flowers. The single flowers with 5 petals compensate for their small size (approximately 3 cm) with their abundance: they are gathered in a multitude of small clusters that cover the entire branches. In autumn, they are replaced by fruits resembling apples, but the size of cherries (2.5 cm in diameter); they persist throughout autumn and part of winter. In some countries, they are harvested to prepare delicious jellies.

This adorable ornamental apple tree, with its modest growth, integrates easily into the garden, even in limited spaces. It can be included in a medium-height countryside hedge without the need for pruning. In a small garden, it will also be very decorative when planted alone on a lawn. It will naturally blend with other shrubs that bloom at different times to cover the entire season: forsythias, Japanese quince, Kolkwitzia 'Pink Cloud', Buddleias, and fragrant mock oranges. Also consider certain particularly vigorous roses that offer beautiful spring flowering and decorative fruiting in autumn: Rosa glauca or rubrifolia, Rugosa Rose Thérèse Bugnet, Complicata Rose...