Crabapples are one of the most widely planted ornamental trees in the Midwest, with good reason. In addition to the beautiful spring blooms are the added bonus of the jewel-like fruits. They are a popular food source for squirrels and birds after the snows blanket the ground.
The fruit of some varieties of crabapples are more persistent than others. I have Malus ‘Prairie Fire’, which has small, hard fruits.
The red fruits of 'Prairie Fire' stand out against an autumn sky.
They last well into winter, until the squirrels devour them all. The red of the fruit sparkles with snow and ice on it.
‘Prairiefire’ is an excellent large crabapple, topping out around 20 feet. It is disease resistant, and, unlike many crabapples, keeps its foliage for a beautiful fall display.
'Prairie Fire' crabapple showing its autumnal tints
When all the fruits are gone, the tree still looks lovely covered in snow.
‘Prairie Fire’ prefers full sun, but will grow in partial shade in average soil and can be grown from Zone 4 to Zone 7.
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Let’s not forget to mention crabapples that ripen early: floribunda, sargent have fruits that soften after the first hard freezes and provide a food source in early winter.
Barbara, It’s a lovely tree and having the disease resistance makes it attractive for my small juniper/oak/hickory forested garden! We are just on its heat zone edge~gail
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I have a ‘Prairie Fire’ and love it. I haven’t seen squirrels on mine though. You have your fair share+ of those.
Love these trees because of the red fruits that persist well into winter here (central MA) contrasted against the snow. Not sure what cultivar we have (it was planted by previous owners) but it does need quite a bit of pruning, like most apples, but watching the cardinals and robins gorge on the berries in the winter is worth the work! It must be a cultivar with disease resistance because the leaves are very clean…
That first shot is particularly gorgeous.
The deer and birds in our area also enjoy the leftover Italian Plums during the winter! Thanks for the great article.
We, too have Prairie fire. It’s probably my favorite, and tho it’s only been planted for 3 years and is barely 6′ tall, it was loaded with blooms this spring and is continuing the show with an abundance of fruit. It can only get better!
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