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Malus toringo Freja - Crab Apple

Malus toringo Freja
Toringo Crab Apple

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A stunning medium-sized flowering crab apple tree. In May, it is covered in a mass of deep pink flowers, creating an unforgettable spectacle. In spring, the young shoots are purple and evolve into a dark green colour as the season progresses, then turn yellow in autumn. The nectar-rich flowers produce small decorative red and yellow fruits, much appreciated by birds. This magnificent tree can thrive in most soils, from acidic to limestone, and prefers slightly moist conditions in full sun. Being hardy, it can be planted anywhere in the UK.
Flower size
3 cm
Height at maturity
5 m
Spread at maturity
4 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -29°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time March to April, October
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November
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Flowering time May
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Description

Malus toringo 'Freja' is a variety of flowering crab apple that produces a breathtaking flowering in May. This medium-sized tree (about 5m (16ft)) is then covered with a cloud of small pink flowers, inspiring admiration all around. In spring, the young shoots are purple and evolve into a dark green colour as the season progresses, before finally turning yellow in autumn. Its fruits are very small but still decorative due to their quantity and attractive red and yellow colour. Very hardy, 'Freja' is particularly accommodating regarding the nature of the soil, requiring only a little moisture and a sunny exposure. Beneficial to biodiversity and highly ornamental, this flowering crab apple is also a source of nectar and food for birds.

 

Ornamental crab apples come from various botanical species of the Malus genus, belonging to the Rosaceae family. This very important family, both in terms of ornamental and economic value, gives us most of our temperate climate fruit trees (apple trees, pear trees, plum trees, apricot trees, peach trees, etc.), but also many garden plants (hawthorn, cotoneaster, roses, photinia, prunus), as well as numerous wild plants that brighten up our countryside and forests (such as wild strawberry). Hardy, accommodating, and easy to grow, flowering crab apples are content with ordinary soil but prefer loamy, deep, loose, and moist soil, as well as sunny exposures. Once established, they tolerate being neglected while maintaining their generous nature. Many cultivars have been developed in Europe and the United States, which are always more attractive and more disease-resistant.

'Freja' is a selection (probably from a Malus toringo seedling) from the Danish nursery Ole Bønsdorff, south of Copenhagen, introduced to the market in 1999. It is a cultivated variety of Malus toringo (syn. Malus sieboldii), a botanical flowering crab apple with a rounded habit, pale-pink almost white flowers, and superb autumn colours. Like the species, 'Freja' is well-suited to small gardens, forming a small tree 4 to 5m (13 to 16ft) high, with a rounded and slightly irregular habit. In spring, small elongated elliptical leaves of a purplish colour appear, borne by long petioles. During the season, they turn a dark green tinged with dark red before taking on beautiful golden colours in autumn before falling.


The flowering is especially the highlight of this variety. In May, the tree is covered with a multitude of dark pink flower buds, which open into small single flowers about 3cm (1in) in diameter, formed by 5 crimson pink petals. It is then a dazzling spectacle for 2 to 3 weeks that illuminates the garden, visible for metres around. These nectar-rich flowers delight bees and evolve into very small fruits less than 1cm (1in) long, slightly elongated in shape. Their abundance compensates for their small size, and their red and yellow colour makes them decorative and attractive to birds that feed on them in autumn. Not content with being a true ornamental glory, this flowering crab apple is also a particularly useful plant for wildlife!


Very hardy (beyond -20°C (-4°F)), 'Freja' is also resistant to pollution, which, combined with its reasonable size, makes it a perfect tree for small urban gardens. Easy to grow, rather disease-resistant and resistant to apple scab, and not fearing the wind, it is an ideal choice. It accepts most types of soil: acidic, neutral, or alkaline. Its only requirements are that it prefers sunny locations, and moist soils, rich in humus.

Malus toringo 'Freja' is a real gem for small gardens, combining an extraordinary flowering, decorative foliage for part of the year, and a multitude of small colourful fruits that will attract birds to your garden, bringing life to the short days of the end of the year. Plant it in isolation on a lawn so that its flowering is clearly visible or, in a mixed bed with other trees and shrubs to create a changing scene throughout the year. For spring, choose a beautiful white-flowered spiraea, such as Spiraea thunbergii, which will enchant the beginning of the season with its myriad of small flowers. 'Freja' will then take over with its abundant flowering, which will then give way to the huge white panicles of Hydrangea paniculata 'Diamantino', a compact hydrangea that will thrive in the dappled shade of 'Freja'. And to accompany it beautifully, Lagerstroemia indica 'Soir d'Eté', an Indian lilac with slightly fluffy flowers in a candy pink colour, will be absolutely perfect.

Malus toringo Freja - Crab Apple in pictures

Malus toringo Freja - Crab Apple (Flowering) Flowering

Plant habit

Height at maturity 5 m
Spread at maturity 4 m
Habit Irregular, bushy
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour pink
Flowering time May
Inflorescence Corymb
Flower size 3 cm
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Fruit colour red

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour dark green

Botanical data

Genus

Malus

Species

toringo

Cultivar

Freja

Family

Rosaceae

Other common names

Toringo Crab Apple

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference179251

Other Malus - Crabapple

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Planting and care

Easy to grow in ordinary, deep, acidic, neutral or calcareous soil, Malus toringo 'Freja' requires a bright exposure. Ornamental malus trees are generally very accommodating, but they like fertile, moist and deep soils. After careful planting and installation accompanied by regular watering during the first two years, they manage on their own. Plant it in the sun (or possibly in partial shade in hot climates) in moist but well-drained, fairly rich soil, giving it enough space to spread. Dig a large planting hole. If the soil is poor, add compost to the planting soil, and apply fertiliser or compost to its base every spring. Prune lightly after flowering to regularise the shape or to form the bush, avoiding cutting thick branches. However, pruning is not mandatory.

Planting period

Best planting time March to April, October
Recommended planting time February to April, September to November

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Border, Back of border, Free-standing
Hardiness Hardy down to -29°C (USDA zone 5) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Any
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Clayey-chalky (heavy and alkaline), Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Soil moisture Moist soil, rich, deep and friable.

Care

Pruning instructions Pruning is not mandatory, but you can prune lightly to even out the shape or to form the bush. Do so after flowering, avoiding pruning thick branches.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time June
Soil moisture Moist soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground

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