Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Roseybloom, Crabapple

Brand:  J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.

Description:

Pink buds opening to white flowers cover the dense rounded head of this top grafted, compact selection; showy and persistent golden fruit in fall that slowly turns orange; makes a spectacular front yard accent; needs full sun and good drainage

Ornamental Features

Sparkling Sprite® Flowering Crab is covered in stunning clusters of fragrant white flowers with shell pink overtones along the branches in mid spring, which emerge from distinctive rose flower buds. The fruits are showy gold pomes which fade to orange over time, which are carried in abundance from early fall to late winter. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn yellow in fall.

Landscape Attributes

Sparkling Sprite® Flowering Crab is a deciduous dwarf tree with a strong central leader and a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This dwarf tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sparkling Sprite® Flowering Crab is ideal for use as a garden accent or patio feature, and is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent

Planting & Growing

Sparkling Sprite® Flowering Crab will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This dwarf tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.