Decorative apple trees. The best varieties of ornamental apple trees. Apple tree crown shape

There are about 50 species and more than 190 cultivated varieties of ornamental apple trees.

Ornamental apple trees are unpretentious to their growing conditions. Planting a decorative apple tree with red leaves is considered especially chic. This plant allows you to create bright accents and decorate even shady corners of the garden.

In cultivation it is a low tree, which rarely reaches 10 meters at the top of its crown. Ornamental apple trees can also be shrubby forms of the crop. In the absence of pruning, the crown is formed in the form of an irregular oval or ball.

Some varieties can bear fruit successfully, but the fruits do not have pleasant organoleptic properties.

The color of the bark of the stem part can vary from pastel gray to rich brown. When choosing a variety of ornamental apple tree, the shape and color of the leaf blade deserves special attention. Some species are presented with a red color and a long period of not falling leaves in the autumn. This allows you to create magnificent landscapes even with a poor soil mixture and unfavorable weather conditions.

Most varieties of ornamental apple trees have dense foliage of a rich green color, which transforms into a yellow and red riot of colors only in late August - early September. The average length of an ellipsoid or plum-shaped leaf is 100 mm.

During the flowering period, the entire crown is densely covered with fragrant flowers, which can reach a diameter of 40 mm. The main color is white, which can have various shades of pink, peach, ivory, etc. Single flowers are collected into bouquets of inflorescences using stems.

Fruit formation begins immediately after flowering. In the center of each flower there is a receptacle, which gradually grows and fills with pulp. The outer color of the fruit is first green, then, as it ripens, it changes to yellow and red.

These trees have fantastic resistance to adverse environmental factors. This is a frost-resistant crop that grows successfully even in the northern regions of our country.

Planting ornamental apple trees

It is best to plant such apple trees in the spring, before the first buds appear, or in the fall, in September and the first half of October. Young seedlings up to 4 years old can be planted in both spring and autumn, but older ones, which do not adapt well to a new place, can only be planted in autumn.

Particular attention should be paid to the distance to neighboring plants. For ornamental apple trees, it is necessary to provide a lot of free space; they should not grow in close proximity to large plants. For each plant, you need to leave as much space as its crown will spread in adulthood: the diameter of a tree of a particular variety should be the main guideline. The classic option is an area of ​​about 5-6 m (respectively, a distance of 2-3 m to neighboring crops).

For ornamental apple trees, you need to dig large planting holes in advance, preferably in the fall of the previous year or at least 1 month before planting. The diameter of the planting hole is about 80 cm and the depth is about 1 m - ideal. The soil removed from the holes must be replaced with a special substrate. A two-fold portion of sand and a three-fold portion of humus are mixed with the leaf soil. If possible, 250-300 g of complete mineral fertilizer is mixed into the soil. Without pre-planting improvement, apple trees will take a long time to take root and will take a lot of time to achieve the desired size. The planting depth is similar to all apple trees: the root collar should be 5-10 cm above the ground level.

Caring for ornamental apple trees and pest control

Apple trees need fertile, well-drained soil. The planting site should be located in the sun; heavily shaded areas are not suitable for these trees. Moderate watering is required; water stagnation should not be allowed. It is recommended to mulch decorative apple trees. Peat, sawdust, conifer bark, and nut shells are suitable for this.

In the spring, it is necessary to carry out disease prevention and spray the trees with insecticides.

If you do not plan to eat the fruits of ornamental apple trees, you can destroy pests during flowering and fruiting. However, it is still not recommended to do this if there may be children on the site, who are often attracted by delicious small apples. The fruits also serve as food for birds, which may be harmed by the toxins. Therefore, in order to avoid poisoning by toxic substances, pest control of ornamental apple trees with chemicals is carried out before the beginning of the growing season.

Ornamental apple trees, like fruit trees, are most susceptible to scab, powdery mildew, and bacteria that cause a disease known as blight. If a burn occurs, the tree must be destroyed, as this dangerous disease quickly and actively spreads throughout the garden.

Propagation of ornamental apple trees

Ornamental types of apple trees can be propagated by seeds. They are sown immediately after harvest in early autumn or after stratification for 1.5-2 months at the end of autumn.

Only rare species and varietal apple trees with improved characteristics that are not transmitted by seed are propagated exclusively by grafting.

Cuttings are not the most productive, but acceptable method. For most apple trees, the survival rate does not exceed 5-15%, even when treated with growth stimulants.

Varieties of ornamental apple trees

Ornamental floribunda apple tree (Malus floribunda)

Luxurious Japanese apple tree - apple tree (Malus floribunda). Suitable for small cottages, because... it is up to 4 m high. It is often a shrub with outstretched, sometimes prickly branches and ovoid dark green leaves, 4-8 cm long. The flowers are very abundant, carmine-red in buds, pale pink after blooming, 2.5- in diameter 3.0 cm, in bunches of 4-7 on purple pedicels; bloom in May. The fruits are spherical, small, 1-2 cm in diameter, reddish-yellow; ripen in September. One of the most decorative apple trees.

Ornamental Pallas apple tree (Malus pallasiana)

The snow-white beauty is the Pallas apple tree, or Siberian apple tree (Malus pallasiana) - a tree up to 3-5 m high or a shrub with a rounded crown. The leaves are ovate, 2.5-8 cm long. The flowers are white on long pedicels, 2-3.5 cm in diameter, 4-8 in umbellate inflorescences; bloom in May-June. The fruits are spherical, yellow with a red tint, up to 1 cm in diameter; ripen in September. Homeland: Eastern Siberia, Far East, Northern China, Mongolia.

Sargent's decorative apple tree(Malus sargentii)

A modest Japanese beauty, the Sargent apple tree (Malus sargentii) is a shrub 1 to 3 m high with horizontally spread branches, often with thorns. The leaves are ovate, often three-lobed, 5-8 cm long, dark green, orange and yellow in autumn. The flowers are white, on bare stalks, 5-6 in bunches; bloom in May. The fruits are almost spherical, about 1 cm in diameter, dark red with a waxy coating; ripen in September. Decorative during flowering and fruiting.

Decorative plum-leaved or Chinese apple tree (Malus prunifolia)

This is a tree or shrub up to 10 m high with pubescent young shoots. The leaves are ovate, 5-10 cm long, dark green, slightly shiny, yellow or bronze in autumn. The flowers are large, 3 cm in diameter, white, 5-10 in umbellate inflorescences; bloom in May. The fruits are spherical, up to 2-3 cm in diameter on long stalks, yellow or red, sour, edible apples (paradise); They ripen in September and do not fall off for a long time. Decorative during flowering and fruiting. Resistant to fungal diseases. Homeland: Northeast China.

Decorative apple tree Tsumi (Malus x zumi)

Apple tree Tsumi ( Malus X zumi) - possibly a hybrid of the Manchurian variety of berry apple and Siebold. A small tree with a dense, spherical crown up to 6 (12) m high. The leaves are oblong-ovate on long shoots, noticeably lobed, 4-9 cm long. The flowers are numerous, 2.5-3 cm in diameter, pink in buds, open white ; bloom in May-June. The fruits are spherical, red, about 1 cm in diameter; ripen in September. Decorative during flowering and fruiting.

Ornamental Scheidecker apple tree (Malus Scheideckeri)

Scheidecker apple tree (Malus Scheideckeri) is a low tree up to 3.5 m high, with a dark brown trunk and fissured bark. The branches are light brown with an orange tint and light lenticels. The leaves are oval, sharp-toothed, dark green. The flowers are pale pink, semi-double, up to 3.5 cm in diameter, dark pink in buds. The fruits are round or elongated-ovoid, bright yellow. Its decorative form "Red Jade" (red fruits) is interesting.

Ornamental apple tree Weeping or riverside

It was introduced into selection in an almost unchanged, wild form. In nature, it is found almost everywhere on the North American continent. With proper care, it grows up to 12 meters in height and has long flexible branches, which bend towards the ground during the growth of leaf mass and ripening of fruits. That is why this decorative apple tree received the name “Weeping”. It will grow well in all regions of our country, since it is not afraid of even severe frosts due to the dense layer of bark.

Ornamental apple tree Ola (Malus hybridus Ola)

The low ornamental apple tree of the Ola variety was bred in Poland. It prefers moist to moderately moist soils. Blooms profusely in sunny places, tolerates partial shade. Due to the fact that the plant does not grow higher than 5 meters, it is used for decorative landscaping in gardens and residential areas. The unusually elegant, openwork crown of the tree in spring is covered with a cap of large pink flowers and exudes a wonderful aroma.

Decorative apple tree of Makovetsky district

A tree or bush with a smooth, spherical crown up to 2 m in diameter and burgundy-colored branches. The leaves are red when blooming and gradually acquire a dark green color with a burgundy tint. Blooms in July with large bright red flowers. The fruits are bright red and edible. Light-loving. Prefers moist and fertile soils. Resistant to diseases. Highly winter-hardy.

In every city there is a park in which many ornamental trees and shrubs grow. And among them there are many different apple trees. They are easy to notice - they bloom so much that you can’t even see the leaves. It seems that these white, pink and red clouds have descended on the park. And the aroma is such that you don’t want to leave. It’s just a pity that you can’t admire this beauty for long. Ornamental apple trees bloom for only two weeks. Then these trees provide pleasant shade during the hot summer months, and in the fall, some varieties of apple trees also begin to change the color of their leaves. And the park again pleases the eye with an abundance of colors. A little more time will pass and the fruits will hang like red beads on the branches for a very long time, attracting birds almost all winter.

general information

The family of ornamental apple trees includes about 50 varieties. The trees are generally not very tall, rarely reaching 10 m in height. The crown is spreading in the form of an irregular ball or umbrella-shaped.

The bark on the trunk has a dark gray tint. The leaves of apple trees are elongated, pointed, 8-10 cm long. The color of the foliage can vary from olive to dark green and even red, depending on the variety and time of year.

Decorative apple tree

They bloom with white, pink or red flowers, collected in inflorescences of 5-7 pieces like an umbrella. The fruits are from 5 mm to 5 cm in diameter.

On a note! Many species are edible, but their taste is mediocre.

Almost all apple trees of this genus are unpretentious in care. They tolerate drought, dust and gas pollution well. All have increased winter hardiness.

In nature, there are many varieties of ornamental apple trees: the dark red apple tree Kitayka, Nedzvetsky, Ranetka, Domashnyaya, Manzhurskaya, Plum-leaved and others. Some of them will be discussed in a little more detail.

Description of species

Makamic apple tree

Makamic apple tree

The tree of this variety grows up to 5 m in height. The crown is in the form of a ball, also about 5 m in diameter. The oval-shaped leaves have a purple tone when blooming, in the summer they change to dark green, and in the fall to orange. The buds are dark red and turn purple-pink when they bloom. The diameter of the flower is 4-5 cm. The apples grow up to 2.5 cm.

This ornamental apple tree is very light-loving. Frost resistance and resistance to apple diseases is very high.

Apple Tree Weeping

This species migrated to us from the North American continent, where it grows almost everywhere. If you take good care of it, it can grow up to 12 meters. The branches are long and flexible. Under the weight of leaves and fruits, they bend towards the ground. That's why they called her Weeping. The leaves change several times a year, at first they are red, in the summer they become green and by autumn they are again painted in crimson tones, and they bloom pink with a very pleasant aroma. The fruits are elongated and ruby ​​in color.

Important! This decorative apple tree with red leaves is practically not afraid of frost.

Umbrella red petal

A tree resembling an umbrella. The shoots extend from the trunk in arcs and then bend down. The leaves are reddish in color in the first half of summer, and greener in the second. This apple tree blooms with crimson flowers somewhat later than garden flowers, which prolongs the decorative effect of the garden. The fruits are the size of a pea, bright burgundy in color.

Japanese apple tree

A gorgeous apple tree - blooming profusely, dazzling in its bloom. There are a lot of flowers, while they are in buds they are carmine in color, after they bloom they become pinkish. The diameter of the flowers is 3 cm, collected in knots of 5-8 pieces. The apples are small, no more than 2 cm in diameter, yellow-red. The height is no more than 4 meters. It grows as a shrub with spreading, sometimes thorny branches.

Japanese apple tree

Prairie Fire

Very original look. The crown is in the form of a tent up to five meters in diameter. While young, the leaves are purple in color, which gradually changes to green. The flowers are an unusual, but very beautiful dark red-violet color. All together it looks incredibly beautiful. The ruby-colored fruits grow up to 5 cm. They do not fall off all winter. And they are a good support for birds. This ornamental variety is very resistant to diseases.

Apple tree with red flowers Red Baron

It’s not for nothing that this variety is called Red Baron; it fully justifies its name. A three-meter tree with a spreading crown, all showered with bright red flowers, which are collected in clusters. The leaves are green with a copper-bronze tint.

Sargent's apple tree

This shrub, whose height reaches 3 meters, is perfect for a hedge. The branches are horizontally spread, with thorns. The three-lobed leaves, 5-8 cm long, have a green tint; closer to autumn they change to orange-yellow. The flowers are white. The apples are red, small, approximately 10 mm in diameter.

Sargent's apple tree

Apple tree Tsumi

This tree is originally from Japan. It grows to a maximum of 4 meters, its rounded crown is approximately the same diameter. The branches are completely covered with beautiful carmine-colored buds. In blooming flowers it changes to pale pink. The fruits are red-yellow, like many ornamental species, no more than 1 cm.

An apple tree with pink flowers of the Tsumi variety is one of the few ornamental ones that is slightly afraid of frost. But even if it freezes, it quickly recovers.

Apple tree Carmen

Another purple-leaved beauty. Blooms with bright pink flowers. The fruits are sweet and sour, weighing up to 60 g. They are ideal for processing into compotes and jams. It is unpretentious in care and frost-resistant. She doesn't care about drought either.

Apple tree Carmen

Purple Apple Tree (Royalty)

This beauty is all purple. Young red leaves change their color to green with a red tint as they grow. The flowers are blood red, the fruits are purple. The height of a tree or shrub reaches 4-6 m. A young tree has a compact crown, but grows over the years.

Scheidecker

Thanks to the cross-pollination of the Slivolistnaya and Abundantly Flowering varieties, a small apple tree with a wide oval crown was obtained. The leaves are about 10 cm long. Large (diameter 3.5 cm) semi-double bright pink flowers cling to all branches. This is one of the most beautiful apple trees. The fruits are bright yellow, which look advantageous against the background of green leaves. Scheidecker is a weeping species.

Raspberry Necklace

This is a columnar ornamental apple tree. It is beautiful both during flowering and during the ripening of apples. It blooms in a reddish-purple color. Flowers form a dense wreath around the trunk of a tree, which has no branches at all, but there are no bare branches. And when the fruits are ripe, they wrap around the graceful trunk of a tree, like a ruby ​​necklace.

Raspberry Necklace

Planting ornamental apple trees

The method of planting these trees is practically no different from planting any fruit trees. They can be planted in early spring and early autumn. It is unpleasant that an adult tree needs a lot of free space. It is necessary to take into account the size of the crown of an adult plant and do not plant tall trees and shrubs at this distance.

To plant, you need to dig a planting hole about a month before the planned planting, fill it with fertile soil with the addition of fertilizers and humus. After a month, you need to dig up the prepared soil again, leaving a small hill in the hole, plant the seedling, straightening the roots. The root collar should be 5-10 cm above the ground level.

Reproduction

It is noteworthy that ornamental apple trees are easily propagated by seeds. To grow a seedling in this way, you need to thoroughly wash the seeds, then soak them in water for three days, which is changed daily. You can add any growth stimulant to the last water. Then the seeds are stratified for 2 months - placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. After all procedures, the seeds are planted in special boxes or on a bed at a distance of 20 cm from each other.

Sowing seeds

You can do it differently. The seed is washed in the fall and planted immediately in the ground. During the winter it will go through the entire hardening period and in the spring the strongest seeds will sprout. The gardener will be able to choose the strongest from several. Or, if necessary, he will leave all the seedlings.

Cuttings of decorative varieties is not the most productive, but acceptable method. In most of these apple trees, the survival rate does not exceed 5-15%, even when treated with growth stimulants. Therefore, experienced gardeners prefer the first propagation method, sowing seeds towards the end of autumn.

Care

Maintenance of these trees is minimal. They do not require the same pruning as their garden counterparts. Be sure to remove only dry or damaged branches. It is also advisable to thin out the crown a little.

Pruning is the main resuscitation measure for a tree

Watering is required only after planting during the rooting period of the tree. Later, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers before flowering is desirable.

Thus, minimal care is needed for the ornamental apple tree, but you can admire its beauty all year round. Whatever variety of this decorative crop is planted, it will not leave its owner indifferent.

Every gardener or cottage owner wants to decorate their plot not only with fruitful trees and shrubs, but also with beautiful ones. For these purposes, decorative varieties are often used, which are bred through selection just for such purposes. Although such species are considered quite rare, therefore not everyone can see an apple tree with red leaves, which will be discussed below.

The main difference between this tree and others is that its leaves are distinguished by bright shades of red and scarlet. This species is considered a hybrid, which, among other things, is resistant to various diseases and poor climatic conditions. From the very beginning of its growth, a decorative apple tree will delight everyone with its red leaves. The bush reaches an average height of four meters, and the crown grows by three meters. Therefore, such a plant will be hard to miss.

The tree can change the shade of its foliage with the changing seasons and sometimes you will witness not only purple leaves, but also emerald ones. Initially, red shades with white inflorescences will appear, and then green with blood-red fruits.

You don’t have to be afraid to grow such an ornamental apple tree in the harsh climate of cold winters. Because the plant can withstand even this. Therefore, you can meet it in Siberia and the Urals in Russia. The apple tree has about 50 subspecies, which are most common in temperate and subtropical climates. All of them differ not only in the shade of the leaves, but in their size, type of crown and flowers.

Standards and appearance

This variety of large-leaved tree is considered a hybrid between such varieties as Nedzvetskogo and Blood-red. Although there are apple trees where the degree of coloration of the foliage is completely different, which means the colors may differ. These plants themselves are not tall and do not grow more than five meters. Sometimes the leaves can remain red throughout the entire time, but sometimes the shade changes to emerald.

Apple tree flowers can be not only soft burgundy, but also dark red with a rough surface. They often completely cover the tree. On average, flowering lasts about two weeks, but only in good conditions. After this, we get beautiful fruits of the same color, which are sometimes even tasty and edible.

It should be noted that this species will require only fertile fresh soil for good growth, because it will not grow well in dry conditions. Although already from the third summer you will notice their lightning-fast increase in size.

Planting this variety

For planting, you need to choose a well-lit place where there is space for a draft that will pollinate the surface around. It is best to deal with this issue in spring or early autumn. Although it is worth remembering that it will take time for you to root an ornamental apple tree, so do not put off this issue until later than the end of September. For planting, seeds or cuttings are used that have been prepared in advance by wrinkling the peel. It is best if you place the seeds in a cool, dark place a month before planting.

Options are possible when planting is carried out at home in boxes using seeds. This happens in early December and within a month you can see the first shoots. Do not forget to provide additional lighting and fertilizing, and then, after the last spring frosts, you can start growing apple trees.

If you decide to plant several trees, then the distance between them should be at least five to seven meters for convenient growth and development of the crown. At first you will have to use a lot of water for irrigation, about eight liters per seedling. Afterwards, this procedure will only need to be done once a week.

It is better to prepare the soil yourself and use humus, soil, sand, and peat to prepare it. Since ornamental red-leaved trees are resistant to different climates, soil salinity and even air dust, you should not be afraid about their future and development.

Caring for an ornamental apple tree

One of the maintenance considerations is that you will need to keep the area near the tree free of weeds and tall grass. Once a year you can use vitamin and mineral supplements, and the rest of the time apply organic materials to the tree trunk.

Abundant watering will be necessary only for young trees during periods of drought; for normal climates and mature apple trees, such care is not necessary. Pruning of the variety is carried out only for medicinal purposes, that is, to eliminate damaged branches. Although you can reduce the size of the crown more if necessary, this must be done either in the spring or at the end of winter. It all depends on the climate of your region.

Fruits should be collected only when they are fully ripe, but there is still no exact date. Although most note that this happens around mid-autumn. Despite the fact that not everyone may like the taste of apples, the jam they make is simply excellent.

Reproduction

Seeds or seedlings are used for propagation. Moreover, depending on the time of year, you may need both fresh and stratified materials, but it is important that sowing occurs almost immediately after harvesting, that is, in autumn or early spring. But cuttings are rarely used, since such sprouts do not take root well and can survive only if you additionally strengthen them immunostimulants. Although if we talk about rarer varieties, then grafting can also be used.

Usage

Because of its unusual appearance, this variety is used more for landscape design and decorating a site or a country house. Since the tree’s fertility is not very high, and not everyone will like the taste.

Tree diseases

Despite its high resistance to various infections, such as scab and dew, the tree is still not immune to burns. And since this disease is caused by a special type of bacteria, it is impossible to cure the plant. It will need to be destroyed. So take care of this right away if you don’t want your entire garden to get sick. In addition, do not import seeds or seedlings from places where this infection has been noticed.

As you can see, this type of apple tree will not only be a wonderful decoration for your garden, but will also not force you to spend a lot of effort and money caring for such an apple tree. And in the end you will get an unusual decorative tree and jam from its fruits.

Video “Features of caring for a red apple tree”

In the video below you can see what this tree looks like and learn how to care for it so that the apple tree pleases you every day for several years.

Ornamental apple trees have many advantages over other varieties:

Decorative varieties are undemanding to the soil on which they grow. Trees growing on fertile and fresh soil produce abundant flowering and fruiting. However, even when grown on depleted soil, trees can be attractive but slower growing. Ornamental apple trees love good lighting. Even a slight shade can affect the number of flowers and their brightness, as well as the abundance of fruits.

Popular varieties

Even novice gardeners can grow an ornamental tree, just like one, since such plants do not require special growing conditions or care knowledge. The most popular varieties of ornamental apple trees are distinguished by a variety of shades, flowers and fruits. Apple trees are more reminiscent of an ornamental plant than a common fruit tree. Therefore, most gardeners grow them for appearance, and not for the purpose of yield. In addition to the bright visual effect, during flowering such trees fill the surrounding area with a sweet fragrance. Thanks to this, the plant is well pollinated and produces a good harvest of small fruits.

Weeping

The variety is represented by a small ornamental tree with a weeping crown shape and red leaves. Plant height is 1.5-2.5 meters. The apple tree grows well in ordinary garden soils, loves abundant watering, but can tolerate short-term drought. The tree grows equally well either alone or in a group planting. Peak flowering occurs in May. At this time, the plant is completely covered with pink flowers, and then small red fruits.

Small apples ripen in September. The fruits make delicious and beautiful jam or jelly.

The weeping apple tree is resistant to brown spot, but requires additional protection against apple scab and powdery mildew - it affects buds, leaves and stems.

Makovetsky

The variety is one of the hybrids of the purple Niedzwiecki apple tree. Due to its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, the apple tree can be grown in the southern regions and central Russia. The tree can grow up to 4-6 m. The diameter of the spherical crown reaches 4-5 m. Flowering begins in May-June and lasts about 2 weeks. The flowers have a rich dark pink hue. The variety has high pollen fertility rates, which is why it is often used as a pollinator for industrial gardens. After flowering ends, small bright red fruits gradually appear. Due to their taste characteristics, apples can only be used in processed form - jam, jam, dessert. The species is frost-resistant, drought-resistant, and has average resistance to scab.

The fruits can be used in folk medicine in the treatment of anemia, for general strengthening of the body, as a bactericidal or laxative.

Helena

An adult tree does not grow higher than 4 m. The lush spreading crown also does not exceed 4 m in diameter. The tree grows quite slowly and reaches its maximum by 10 years. In the spring, abundant flowering begins, which after a while is replaced by clusters of bright red fruits that do not fall until late autumn. In winter, the reddish bark of the branches also gives the plant a decorative appearance. Thus, the tree pleases with its appearance almost all year round. Due to its small size, the variety can be used as a hedge. Helena is highly resistant to low temperatures and diseases. However, we should not forget about preventive measures.

The variety is a purely ornamental plant, since its fruits are not eaten even in processed form.

Red obelisk

The height of an adult tree can reach 6 m. The columnar crown can grow to a diameter of 3 m. During flowering, the plant is first covered with pink flowers, which turn white after a while. Large red fruits gradually ripen on the tree, which can be stored throughout the winter until spring. Apples can be picked and used to make preserves, jam or cider.

The plant is widely used for decorative purposes in landscaping urban landscapes and garden plots.

The apple tree may bloom again in the fall, but not as profusely as in the spring.

Scarlet

The tree quickly grows up to 4 meters in height. Flowering occurs in May, when the plant is covered with a large number of dark pink flowers. By autumn, the tree becomes overgrown with small purple fruits that can remain on it for a long time. The plant prefers a sunny place protected from the wind. The apple tree has weak resistance to diseases and pests, but it can be strengthened by preventive treatments. The variety has high winter hardiness, due to which it is widely cultivated in the Moscow region. The plant is used as a hedge and can be planted separately or in group plantings.

Royal Beauty

The plant is a hybrid variety created on the basis of the Niedzwiecki apple tree. The tree grows to a small size - 2.5-3 m. The diameter of the crown is 1-4 m. As it grows, it has a weeping shape, and in mature trees it has an umbrella-shaped shape. Lush flowering begins in early May and lasts 2 weeks. In hot, dry weather, this period can be shortened to 6-7 days. The flowers have a rich dark pink hue.

Over time, small dark red fruits appear on the tree, which can decorate it for a long time. Apples ripen in the first ten days of September, but have a bitter taste, which is why they are inedible. The variety is characterized by high frost resistance (up to -34°C) and tolerance of polluted air. Thanks to this, trees can be grown in the central and northwestern regions of Russia. The only drawback is the average resistance to scab.

Robin

The robin is characterized by a medium size and a dense, rounded crown. On average it grows to 4-6 meters. During the flowering period, the branches are covered with dense pink-red flowers. Outwardly it resembles sakura. By autumn, the plant is covered with small, bright burgundy fruits. Despite their small size, apples are edible and are used in making compotes. The collected fruits tolerate long-term storage in wooden containers. The variety is quite winter-hardy and can be grown in central Russia. The plant is susceptible to diseases and therefore requires preventive treatment measures. Find out about the Malinovka apple tree variety.

Royalty

An ornamental variety, which is one of the hybrid forms of the purple apple tree. Royalty is characterized by slow growth; by the tenth year of life it can grow to 3-4 m. The crown has an oval shape with a diameter of 4-5 m. In young trees it is compact, but gradually becomes wide and spreading. The flowering period occurs in early May and lasts 2 weeks. At this time, the tree is abundantly covered with ruby ​​or crimson-red flowers. By the beginning of autumn, small dark red fruits appear on the apple tree. Royalty will tell you about the characteristics of the apple tree variety.

The variety is frost-resistant, resistant to wind and drought. Trees are not very resistant to scab, so they need regular preventive treatments.

Apples have a bitter taste and are considered inedible. If consumed directly, they can lead to acute food poisoning.

Fusion

The tree rarely grows over 5 m in height. It has a lush spreading crown. During flowering (May), the branches are covered with pink-red flowers. The tree resembles a cherry blossom. By autumn, the flowers are replaced by small decorative red fruits, which can remain on the tree until winter. The plant is perfect for decorating a site, gardening area or as a hedge. Read how to form the crown of an apple tree.

Nedzvetsky

An apple tree can grow as a bush or tree, depending on the initial formation of the crown. An adult tree reaches 5-6 m in height and can live up to 60 years. During spring flowering, the branches are almost completely covered with large pink flowers. The flowering period depends on the location where the tree grows. It ranges from early to mid-May. In autumn, small purple-red fruits ripen. The pulp of apples has an unusual pink color. They can remain on the tree throughout the winter.

Read about apple tree diseases.

The Nedzvetsky variety is resistant to frost, pests and most diseases.

Which varieties are preferable for the Moscow region?

Features of planting and growing

Growing ornamental varieties of apples has some differences compared to ordinary apple trees.

1. The soil. For the most part, ornamental apple trees do not have special soil requirements and are able to grow even on poor soils, but the quantity and quality of flowers will suffer from this. It is advisable to avoid waterlogged, swampy, extremely dry sandy and rocky soils.
2. Landing. The process of decorative varieties is almost no different from ordinary apple trees. Spring is the best time for this.
3. Distance. Ornamental apple trees need a lot of space, so the distance between trees should be on average 2-3 m. Thus, each plant receives an area of ​​approximately 5-6 m.
4. Landing place. It is advisable to prepare the planting hole a month before planting, or preferably in the fall of the previous year. The diameter of the pit should be about 80 cm and the depth about 1 m.
5. Pruning in spring. Ornamental apple trees tolerate formative pruning well, quickly adapt and recover. In general, trees do not require pruning, and mandatory pruning consists only of removing damaged or dead branches.

   He will tell you about pruning an apple tree in the spring.

   Video

   Video about decorative apple trees.

   conclusions

   1. Apple trees can not only produce healthy fruits, but also be a worthy decoration of the garden.
   2. Thanks to the variety of decorative varieties, you can choose trees by color and size.
   3. Most ornamental apple trees have unusual colors of flowers and fruits. It is also common for tree leaves and bark to become stained.
   4. The fruits of most ornamental varieties are inedible, but can decorate a tree even in winter.
   5. Decorative apples can be consumed in processed form. However, the fruits of some species can cause food poisoning.
   6. Ornamental apple trees are unpretentious to planting conditions, but for sufficient flowering they need abundant lighting.

The beauty of the apple orchard is glorified in many works. Decorative apple trees in bloom can decorate any area and fill it with a wonderful fragrance. Some of the most popular varieties of ornamental apple trees are “Royalty”, “Nezvetsky”, “Kitayka”. Also in the middle zone, “Siberian”, “domestic”, “Manchurian” and “plum-leaved” apple trees are often grown.

During flowering, the apple tree is very beautiful, the aroma of its delicate flowers fills the air. A blooming apple tree is one of the symbols of spring and love. There are types of apple trees that gardeners grow exclusively for their wonderful flowers, and not for their delicious fruits. These are decorative apple trees. They also bear fruit, but smaller ones, most often unsuitable for food.

Ornamental apple trees bloom in the spring for more than 2 weeks, and in bloom they resemble a delicate fragrant cloud. Before the flowering period, all their branches are densely covered with small buds of various colors, which also look charming.

As can be seen in the photo, ornamental apple trees are low trees or shrubs. The flowers are about 4 cm in diameter, fragrant, and have different colors depending on the variety; white, pink, red, and yellow are more common. Fruits can also vary in color and size.

Planting and caring for ornamental apple trees is quite simple; these trees are frost-resistant, resistant to drought and air and water pollution. However, in order to achieve abundant flowering and maintain the foliage in good condition, which is what is required to give the apple tree aesthetic appeal, some rules must be followed.

There are about 50 species and more than 190 cultivated varieties of ornamental apple trees. In Russian cities, the following varieties are used in parklands:

“Forest apple tree”, “Siberian”;

“Home”, “Plum leaf”;

"Nedzvetsky", "Manchurian".

The decorative apple tree "Nedzvetsky" stands out among others due to the predominance of burgundy shades in color. It has partially burgundy leaves, pink-purple flowers and violet-red fruits with pink flesh. This tree is very unusual and will surprise you and your guests throughout the growing season. The Nedzvetsky apple tree is resistant to frost, pests and diseases. It develops quickly, reaches a height of 5-7 m, and is unpretentious.

Decorative apple tree "Royalty" (Royalty) is a dwarf tree that blooms with magnificent purple flowers. The crown is spreading and requires almost no shaping. In beauty, this apple tree is not inferior to the Japanese miracle - sakura.

Look at the photo of the decorative apple tree “royalty”: the foliage of this tree has a burgundy tint, as do the fruits. Together they create an impressive "fiery" spectacle. The fruits are inedible.

The decorative apple tree "Chinese" is a hybrid that tolerates frost and drought well. It is undemanding to care and tolerates pruning and grafting better than other ornamental apple trees.

Decorative apple trees “Makamik”, “Sargenta”, “plum leaf” and “berry”

The Makamik variety is distinguished by its juicy and large fruits. This tree is from 3 to 6 m tall. Blooms purple-pink flowers. The fruits are small, sweet and sour, bright red, elongated. During fruiting it is as decorative as during flowering. Jams and wine are prepared from the fruits and frozen.

The Sargent apple tree is a bush variety that reaches a height of about 2-3 m and the same width. Due to its spherical shape, it is ideal for decorating the lawn and adding a second tier of plantings of tall trees. The buds are bright pink, after blooming the petals are snow-white. The fruits are very small. This is a heat-loving variety, so the apple tree should be covered for the winter.

The plum-leaved variety, better known as Chinese, is widespread in gardening. The tree reaches a height of 10 m. The crown is spherical. Leaves are pointed, wedge-shaped. The flowers are white and fragrant. The fruits are 3 cm in diameter, round, sweet and sour.

Another popular variety of ornamental apple tree is “berry” or “Sibirka”. It reaches a height of 10 m, winter-hardy. There are bush hybrids. The crown is round. The leaves are oblong and glossy. The flowers are white, practically without aroma.

Pay attention to the photo of this variety of ornamental apple tree - it also looks great during fruiting, since the fruits are clusters of small berries of a yellow, pink or red hue, similar to cherries.

The fruits are eaten by birds, and since mini-apples do not fall off for a long time, by planting this tree, you will provide birds with food for the entire fall and beginning of winter. Berry apples can also be eaten by people; they make delicious jam and compotes. Flowering begins at the end of May.

You can add a berry apple tree to a group of early flowering ornamental apple trees, then you will prolong the pleasure of seeing these charming plants.

The alleys of decorative apple trees are magnificent; they look especially advantageous in the spring during the flowering period. Trees can be arranged in the form of garden bonsai, cordons, trellises. Plant them under the windows of your country house and in the spring, while spending time on the terrace drinking delicious herbal tea, admire the wonderful blooming of these harbingers of spring. Bush species will perfectly complement or.

After flowering, ornamental apple trees can serve as shading, protection from dust, and are also planted as hedges. During fruiting, apple trees look beautiful thanks to the small bright apples that will decorate the branches until frost.

Planting and pruning ornamental apple trees

Ornamental apple trees are usually propagated by seeds, sown in the fall. One-year-old shoots are transplanted to a permanent place next fall; planting can also be done in the spring. When planting an ornamental apple tree, make sure that the root system of the seedling does not dry out. The root collar should remain close to the soil surface, so you need to carefully dig in the seedling. There is no need to fertilize in the first year, but in subsequent years balanced fertilizers must be applied.

Pruning of ornamental apple trees should be done carefully and as little as possible. The decorative apple tree does not like pruning, and its crown itself retains an attractive compact shape. Pruning is required when the crown thickens and to rejuvenate the tree. Pruning is carried out in early spring, before the start of the growing season in plants. Carefully cut off damaged, dried and frozen branches, as well as crowns growing inwards, and “unravel” the intersecting thickets. As a result, the crown should be neat, “translucent”, and orderly.

Caring for ornamental apple trees and pest control

Apple trees need fertile, well-drained soil. The planting site should be located in the sun; heavily shaded areas are not suitable for these trees. Moderate watering is required; water stagnation should not be allowed. It is recommended to mulch decorative apple trees. Peat, sawdust, bark, and nut shells are suitable for this.

In the spring, it is necessary to carry out disease prevention and spray the trees with insecticides. If you do not plan to eat the fruits of ornamental apple trees, you can destroy pests during flowering and fruiting. However, it is still not recommended to do this if there may be children on the site, who are often attracted by delicious small apples.

The fruits also provide food for birds, which can be harmed by the toxins, and birds are known to help rid gardens of insect pests. Therefore, in order to avoid poisoning by toxic substances, pest control of ornamental apple trees with chemicals is carried out before the beginning of the growing season.

Ornamental apple trees, like fruit trees, are most susceptible to scab, powdery mildew, and bacteria that cause a disease known as blight. If a burn occurs, the tree must be destroyed, as this dangerous disease quickly and actively spreads throughout the garden.