Flowering Crabapple

Flowering Crabapple Tree (Malus floribunda)

Ornamental and Shade.  This beautiful crabapple tree blooms profusely every year.  It provides an early spring pink color in the backyard.  Not only it is delightful to look at, it is also very easy to grow and makes a good shade tree as it is fast-growing.  In my yard the crabapple is planted near the patio contributing to the much needed shade in the summer. 

Pollenizer.  A number of the apple trees are self-fertile (capable of producing viable pollens) while some are cross pollinated and would require another apple tree of a different variety as the source of fertile pollen.  The flowering crabapple is an excellent pollenizer for other apple trees.  An important factor to consider in choosing your apple varieties is the time of flowering.  The apple tree and the pollenizer tree (source of viable pollen) should bloom at the same time.  In my yard I have a Fuji apple that bears fruit every year (never mind that half of the fruits are infested with codling moth (Cydia (Laspeyresia) pomonella).  The only other apple tree nearby is the crabapple.  I would say that they are compatible.