INTRODUCTION 
Most of the Asiatic Flowering Crabs are immune or resistant to apple 
scab and cedar rust. The native crabs such as Joensis and Coronaria and 
their double forms are susceptible, limiting their general usefullness. 
Ioensis Plena or Bechtel’s is probably the worst offender where these 
diseases are a problem. 
Some species are slower beginning to bloom. In general the native 
crabs, Spectabalis and Baccatas bloom later in life, while most of the 
Asiatics bloom very young, often as one year trees. [This is due to the 
production of flower buds axially on vigorous one year shoots. 
Most varieties with pumila parentage have “red” or purplish-red 
blossoms and purple or maroon fruits and purple ‘tinge to leaves and 
wood. Many develop a dingy color as blossoms age. 
The Baccatas generally have single white blossoms, bloom abundantly 
with age, are vigorous and hardy, and have bright red or yellow fruits. 
Crabs wilth larger fruits, 2 inches and over, tend to bear on alternate 
years, and the fruits may become a nuisance. Large fruits more often 
become wormy and misshapen, and may litter the ground objectionably. 
Overloading of branches may also occur, causing breakage or spoil the 
form of the tree. 
The chief pests of the crabs are mice, scale, red mites, and leaf eating 
caterpillars. 
Mice may utilize old mole runs under sod or find shelter under heavily 
mulched trees. They may either girdle the trunk at or just below the 
ground or mulch level, or eat the bark from around the main roots. An 
occasional check should be made during the season. 
Scale attacks the crabs as it does a great many other trees and shrubs 
but is more of a problem. Mites may occasionally become serious. 
Leaf eating insects are the most frequent problem, as a number of 
kinds are common and have several generations a year. Use a poison 
spray when presence is observed. 
Crown gall and root rot may take out established trees. Care should 
be taken ‘to plant only trees without indication of a knot or gall on roots 
or at crown of the tree. Plants of the apple family are also subject to 
hairy root, caused by the same bacteria as crown gall. Individual apple 
understocks may be much more fibrous rooted than others, often forming 
a ring of fine roots near the ground line. Hairy root condition usually 
extends out along the main roots as mats or dense fringes of uniformly 
fine roots. 
In planting, care should be taken to remove or straighten cross or 
circling roots which may later cause girdling of main roots or base of 
the tree. All suckers originating below the bud or down among the 
roots should be completely removed. 
Set itrees deeper than originally grown. A tree an inch or less in 
diameter should be set from one to six inches deeper. The deeper setting 
may be done if soil is reasonably light and well drained. Such a tree 
should root along the stem and should form fewer suckers from the roots 
or below the bud. The slower growing top of many crabs tends to induce 
suckering. 
Crabs respond markedly to fertile soil, mulching and fertilization with 
earlier and more abundant flowering. A vigorous growing tree normally 
blooms much younger 'tthan ‘1a weak or retarded tree. 
All members of the Malus family, including the crabs, are stunted 
and eventually killed if 'the roots of walnut trees come in contact with 
their root systems. Waltch out for walnuts. 
Weeping crabs have been omitted from the list, as we feel none are 
yet of sufficient merit. Red Jade (patented by Brooklyn Botanic Gardens) 
may prove of merit, particularly for its weeping habit of growth and very 
small coral red fruits. 
The best of ‘the following varieties will be marked with an asterisk. 
Some good ones not starred because too new or are subject to rust. 
