Frequently bought together

Quick basket

Your basket is empty

Grow better plants
Happy, Healthy Plants Guaranteed
Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered
Happy, Healthy Plants Guaranteed
Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered

autumn-sale

Crabapple Trees

Ideal for small gardens or growing in pots, crabapple trees produce a spring flower display to rival the showiest cherry blossom and fill your garden with birdsong with their brightly coloured fruits. These native trees attract pollinators, have wonderfully warm autumn colour and even fertilise apple trees, to give you a bigger crop. Our grower in the New Forest has chosen winning varieties that are guaranteed to become a highlight of your garden.

Need help picking?

Sort and filter

South Downs National Park

Meet John

110 years' expertise free with every tree

John’s family have been growing trees in the South Downs National Park for over a century, and it shows. Dug up and sent straight to your garden at between 18-36 months old, their quality rootstocks, expert pruning and natural pest control mean that these traditionally field-grown trees are the hardiest you can get.

Need help picking?

Which crabapple tree is best for your garden?

Which crabapple tree is best for your garden?

Our crabapple collection includes four RHS Award of Garden Merit winners, including Evereste (large white flowers and red berries) and Sun Rival, a weeping variety. John Downie is our choice for blossom, being covered in clusters of white flowers each spring, while the Japanese Crabapple has fragrant pink blossoms and dark red fruits. Compact Jelly King may be the smallest variety, but is also the best for jam and jelly. To find your perfect crabapple tree, read more about them.

What grows well with crabapples?

What grows well with crabapples?

A crabapple tree is a must for your wildlife garden, and pairs nicely with other compact native trees like hazels and rowans. All of these trees can also be used as hedging. Underplant your crabapple with bulbs, flowering shrubs such as oleaster, aucuba and escallonia or shade-tolerant perennials like heuchera, sedum or ferns for a natural woodland look. Winter flowering plants like hellebores are also a good choice for underplanting deciduous trees, as they’ll bloom when the tree’s leaves have fallen.

Growers' tips

Growers' tips

Crabapples are joyfully unfussy trees. They grow best in a sunny spot, but will tolerate a little afternoon shade; the soil type doesn’t matter as long as it’s well drained and kept moist. Water your tree regularly for the first year, then leave it to its own devices unless the weather’s particularly hot and dry. Your tree will appreciate a yearly feed and mulch, too. You don’t have to prune crabapples, but if you do, late winter or early spring is the time. Harvest your crabapples between September and November to make crabapple jelly - or leave them for the birds to enjoy.

Crabapple FAQs

Where should I plant a crabapple tree?

The crab apple prefers a sunny, open environment with plenty of space with well-drained, enriched soil.

How do I care for a crabapple tree?

Water your crabapple tree regularly during its first year by maintaining an even moisture over its root zone.

Should I prune a crabapple tree?

In terms of maintenance, crabapple trees are pretty easy to care for and don't need a lot of pruning. Pruning is important for maintaining a tree's shape, removing dead branches, and treating or preventing disease.

When should I plant a crabapple tree?

Trees can be planted bare-root between November and March, and containers can be planted at any time of the year.

How quickly do crabapple trees grow UK?

A crabapple tree will grow around 12 - 13cm per year if it’s receiving the TLC it deserves!

Do crabapple trees lose their leaves in the winter?

It is a deciduous tree, meaning it loses its leaves every year and it is typical for the leaves to turn yellow or brown after the fruit matures and fall completely off the tree by winter.

Are crabapple trees easy to grow?

They certainly don’t ask for much! In terms of size, crab apple trees are quite compact, making them a good choice for smaller gardens and there are also a number of advantages to planting a crabapple, so if you’re undecided here’s 3 reasons why you should go for it: they are a lovely sight, highly productive and great for surrounding wildlife.

Fighting plastic waste

Delivering fresh from the nursery

Supporting UK growers