Malus toringo 'SCARLETT' Siebold's crabapple

Scarlett crabapple is a fantastic addition to the collection of spring flowering ornamental apples and cherries. This one, however, has more than one feature to look at (just like Scarlett Johansson who may have been a reason why this tree got its name 😊

Scarlett is a Siebold’s crabapple with a profusion of bright purple-pink flowers in mid spring. The leaves are deciduous and appear during blooming. First leaves are typically ovate but from the end of spring the tree starts producing larger leaves with 3 lobes at the tips of branches. They are glossy, deep maroon as they emerge, and keep some maroon to purple red shades throughout the whole season if fully insolated. Leaves inside the canopy are olive to dark green with red veins. In autumn purple leaves turn dark carmine red, and green leaves change to fiery orange and golden. They fall off very late so you can enjoy a long period of autumn colours. Fruits are small, maroon, and persist on the tree until spring.

Unlike many other crabapple varieties Siebold’s crabapple naturally forms a dense canopy in a somewhat relaxed pyramidal shape with slightly arching branches in maturity. It grows at a slow to medium fast rate. Pruning, if needed, should be carried out in the middle or at the end of winter.

Apple trees will grow in most soils but do best in well-drained but evenly moist, fertile, preferably acid soil for best autumn colours. They don’t like road salt. When planting it, make sure the root-ball is well soaked with water and trees with trunks need to be staked to a strong support for at least 3 years after transplanting. Fully hardy to min. -29 °C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 18-11-2011; 30-12-2022