Malus toringo var. sargentii Tina - Crab Apple

Malus toringo 'Tina' is a very pretty dwarf variety derived from the Asian botanical species called Malus toringo or sieboldii var sargentii. This ornamental apple tree remains low, anchored on a short trunk, and develops a widely rounded crown that is covered in April-May with pink buds opening into snowy, white and fragrant flowers. Its foliage takes on beautiful golden hues in autumn, while its thousands of small cherry-like apples begin to shine bright red. With a little patience, it can be shaped like a giant bonsai, and its bare and dark silhouette in winter becomes curiously Japanese. This uncommon variety, resistant to diseases, undoubtedly deserves a prominent place in a small garden, in the centre of a flowerbed, or even in a large container on the patio.

Ornamental apple trees come from the various botanical species of the Malus genus belonging to the Rosaceae family. Hardy, accommodating, and easy to grow, flowering apple trees are content with ordinary soil but prefer loam which is deep, loose, and moist , as a sunny position. Once established, they are low maintenance and retaining their generous character. Numerous cultivars have emerged, both in Europe and in the United States, becoming increasingly attractive and resistant to diseases.

'Tina' is a descendant of Malus sieboldii var. sargentii, native to Korea and Japan. A large shrub or small tree, it develops knotty vegetation, one or more trunks topped with a wide and bushy crown, giving this apple tree a characteristic mushroom-like silhouette in a dense and somewhat irregular shape. It often grows wider than it does tall. Its average dimensions at maturity are about 2.50m (8ft) in height and 2.75m (9ft) in spread. It develops knotty wood covered with initially smooth, then rough, dark brown bark that flakes with age.

Flowering occurs in late April or early May, in the form of numerous pale pink buds. They open into single flowers with a diameter of 3.5 to 4 cm (1 to 2in), and pure white in colour. These flowers, gathered in small clusters, bloom simultaneously with the young leaves. Flowering is followed by the formation of a multitude of small apples resembling cherries, with a diameter of 1 cm (1in). At maturity in late summer, they are bright red and shiny. Highly appreciated by birds, these fruits remain attached to the shrub for half of the winter, until December. The deciduous foliage consists of ovate, alternate, and dentate leaves, dark green until the end of summer, turning golden yellow before falling. It is worth noting that this variety shows excellent resistance to apple tree diseases such as bacterial canker, rust, scab, and powdery mildew.

Malus Tina, like many flowering apple trees, is a good pollinator for early flowering fruit trees. This small tree with a slightly contorted silhouette has much more presence than most flowering cherry trees. Its abundant flowers may be less long-lasting than that of the cherry, but this is compensated by the beauty of its autumn foliage, the brilliance of its fruits, and the uniqueness of its habit. It will find its place in a medium to small-sized garden, ideally as a specimen when cleverly pruned to accentuate its flat-topped habit. Left to its own devices, its rounded mass blends into a flowered hedge, accompanied for example by large shrub or climbing roses trained as bushes, evergreen Viburnums, and lilacs. When space is available, ornamental apple trees planted in a large hedge on a slope create a rather enchanting scene not only in spring but also in autumn, thanks to their often sumptuous colours at the end of the season.