Sweet & Sour

Writing about crab apples is a straightforward task – as straightforward as these trees are to grow. There are no complicated growing instructions and no sinister pests or diseases that require explanation. They’re simply a winning combination of beautiful and useful garden attributes and an easygoing nature. All that’s required is to extol their virtues, of which, happily, there are many.

Their biggest virtue is their small but manageable size. Most crab apples won’t grow any bigger than 7-8m tall, and many species and cultivars are even smaller, making them superb trees for gardens that are tight on