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HORTICULTURE 



November 2, 1918 



The beauty of the crabapples ot 

 North America and eastern. Asia in 

 spring when they are covered with 

 their pinli, rose color or white flowers 

 has often been described in these Bul- 

 letins. That few trees produce hand- 

 somer or more abundant fruit is per- 

 haps not yet generally known or the 

 value ot these trees for the decoration 

 of the autumn garden fully appreci- 

 ated. All the crabapples, including 

 the species from Florida and Oregon, 

 are hardy in the north. They are all 

 Indifferent to the presence of lime In 

 the soil and therefore can be grown 

 successfully in parts ot the United 

 States where it is impossible to culti- 

 vate many plants like rhododendrons 

 and azaleas to which the presence of 

 lime is fatal. Of the large groups of 

 shrubs and small trees of general and 

 wide cultivation in this country — 

 Lilacs, Syringas, Crabapples, Viburn- 

 ums, Hawthorns and Cornels — none 

 equal the Hawthorns and Crabapples 

 in the size and brilliancy of their 

 fruit. Tie fruit of the American crab- 

 apple is larger than that of the Asiatic 

 species, depressed-globose except in 

 the Oregon species, light green or 

 pale yellow, covered with a waxy ex- 

 udation, and very fragrant. The fruit 

 of the Asiatic species is red, yellow 

 with a red cheek or greenish, and va- 

 ries in size from that of a small pea 

 to a diameter of an inch and a halt. 

 On some species the fruit falls as 

 soon as it is ripe and on others it per- 

 sists until spring. There are many 

 natural hybrids of these Asiatic 

 plants and, as is the case in several 

 other genera, the hybrids are often 

 more valuable as garden plants than 

 their parents; and as all apples hy- 

 bridize very freely it is probable that 

 large sowings of the seeds of the 

 plants gathered in a collection like 

 that of the Arboretum, which contains 

 all the species and many varieties 

 and hybrids, will yield forms of 

 greater value as garden plants than 

 those now known. 



It is hard to say which is the hand- 

 somest of the Asiatic crabapples at 

 this season of the year. The showiest 

 fruit is perhaps that of Malus pruni- 

 folia. This tree has been considered 

 a native of Siberia and northern 

 China, but although it has been 

 known in western gardens for more 

 than one hundred and fifty years Its 

 home as a wild tree is not yet known. 

 It is evidently one of the rarest crab- 



apples in American gardens. The 

 fruit is oblong, broader at the base 

 than at the apex, nearly an inch and 

 a half in length, very lustrous, bright 

 red, or yellow with a red cheek. It 

 differs from many of the other Asiatic 

 (rabapples in the Jarge, persistent, 

 erect calyx. In this country at least 

 the fruit is less abundant than that of 

 many other species. The Rinki Crab, 

 v/hich is now believed to be a variety 

 of Malus prunifolia, produces large 

 crops of fruit in the Arboretum; this 

 is smaller than the fruit of M. pruni- 

 folia and is often nearly globose, red. 

 yellow or green on different trees. 

 The Rinki is a native of northern and 

 western China, and for many centu- 

 ries has been cultivated by the Chi- 

 nese as a fruit tree. From China it 

 was early carried to Japan where it 

 was generally cultivated for its fruit 

 until replaced by the American and 

 European apples of larger size and 

 better quality. The handsome and 

 abundant fruit of the Rinki should se- 

 cure for it a place in American gar- 

 dens. 



Among hybrids of Malus prunifolia 

 with other species, principally with 

 the Siberian M. iaccata, are plants 

 which are conspicuous in the abund- 

 ance and beauty of their fruit which, 

 although somewhat smaller than that 

 of M. prunifolia, is equally brilliant in 

 color. This hybrid, which is still with- 

 out a name, is well worth attention 

 Plants of M. floridana are unusually 

 full of fruit this year which on some 

 trees almost hides the leaves, giving 

 the plant the appearance of fountains 

 of old gold. The fruit on different 

 plants varies somewhat in color and 

 in size; from some it drops in the 

 autumn as soon as it is ripe, and on 

 other trees it remains until spring. 

 Such trees furnish birds with great 

 quantities of appreciated winter food. 

 From many points of view this crab- 

 apple is one of the very best large 

 shrubs or small trees which can be 

 grown in the northern United States. 

 It is perfectly hardy and of excellent 

 habit; for forty years it has never 

 failed to cover itself with flowers 

 which, bright rose color in the bud, 

 are white after the buds have opened; 

 and there have not been many au- 

 tumns when the fruit has not been as 

 abundant as It is this year. Malus 

 Arnoldiana, a natural hybrid of M. 

 floridana with some other species, 

 originated in the Arboretum. It has 



the habit of M. floridana but the flow- 

 ers and fruits are nearly twice as 

 large. Some persons consider this hy- 

 brid the handsomest of the crabapples 

 and there are certainly no more beau- 

 tiful objects in the Arboretum this 

 autumn. The different forms of the 

 Japanese Malus Sieholdiana are all 

 handsome in the autumn. The typical 

 form is a low shrub broader than high 

 with arching stems, and there is an 

 arborescent form of excellent habit. 

 This crab produces great quantities ol 

 fruit which is not larger than a smalt 

 pea and is bright red on some Individ 

 uals and yellow on others. It has the 

 merit of flowering later than the other 

 Asiatic crabapples. The variety cal 

 ocarpa of M. Siel)oldi<ma has larger 

 flowers and fruit, and is a large arbor- 

 escent shrub. As a flowering plant 

 and when its bright red lustrous fruit 

 is ripe it is one of the handsomest 

 crabapples. To Dr. William S. Bige- 

 low of Boston, who sent the seeds to 

 the Arboretum from Japan, western 

 gardens owe this beautiful plant 

 which is not known in a wild state. 

 The small globose fruit of M. baccata. 

 a common tree in northeastern Asia, 

 varies considerably in size and in Its 

 shades of red, but all the forms are 

 shapely trees handsome in spring and 

 autumn. A Korean variety, var. 

 Jackii, still rare in gardens, has per- 

 haps the most brilliant fruit of any of 

 the forms of M. baccata. A northern 

 form, var. mandshurica, has larger 

 fruit, and the flowers are more fra- 

 grant than those ot any other Asiatic 

 crabapple. Attention may be called 

 again to the value ot Malus Sargentii 

 as an autumn and winter plant. This 

 is a shrub from northern Japan which 

 grows only a tew feet high but spreads 

 by semiprostrate stems to a wide di- 

 ameter. The scarlet fruit, which is 

 produced In great quantities, is not 

 apparently appreciated by birds and 

 remains In good condition on the 

 branches till spring. M. transitorin 

 from western China has produced 

 fruit In the Arboretum this year for 

 the second time. It is ellipsoidal in 

 shape, rose pink, darker on one side 

 than on the other, very lustrous and 

 about three-quarters of an inch long. 

 The fruit of few crabapples Is more 

 distinct and beautiful. Only a few 

 plants In the collection are mentioned 

 in this Bulletin. Many others are 

 equally interesting, and a study of the 

 group will show possibilities for gar- 

 den decoration which few persons In 

 this country realize. In planting crab- 

 apples it is well to remember that 

 they only really thrive In rich, well- 

 drained soil, that they require plenty 



