WHAT: This flowering crabapple, known as Strawberry Parfait, is red when in bud. Its large, light pink flowers feature deep pink margins.
It is a heavy bloomer and one of the best pink-flowering varieties for home gardeners in the Northwest.
WHY PLANT IT: Its ornamental fruits are deep red and persist into the winter. Its leaves are reddish purple in spring and turn green in summer.
This is one of the broader growing varieties and is excellent in groves or planted as a substitute in a rustic setting to replicate the effect of an apple orchard without the overabundance of fruit and maintenance of an orchard.
Strawberry Parfait is resistant to scab, cedar-apple rust, mildew and fireblight, all major diseases in the Northwest.
WHERE: Crabapples grow best in full sun and are adaptable to varying soil conditions and are drought tolerant.
HOW: Any pruning should be done before June to maximize flower production.
ACTUAL SIZE: It grows to 9 feet high and 10 feet wide in 10 years and can reach 18 feet tall and 20 feet wide at maturity.
LEARN MORE: See www.greatplantpicks.org.
Source: Great Plant Picks
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