Elk River crab apple trees

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• Self-fertility: Self-fertile
• Blossom colour: Pink - light
• Fruit colour: Green

Elk River features large fragrant pink single flowers followed by small bright green crab-apples.

Elk River crab apple trees for sale

Elk River is a form of Malus coronaria, the American Crab Apple, also known as the Sweet Crab Apple. This species is characterised by its cold-hardniess, late flowering period, and fragrant blossom.

Elk River features large fragrant flushed dusky pink single flowers in spring.

In autumn it produces small bright green persistent crab apples in autumn. These are not particularly palatable, but can be used for cider or preserves.

The leaves also take on autumnal tints.

How to grow

Unlike most crab-apples, Elk River is not a good pollinator of mainstream apple varieties.

Elk River is very susceptible to cedar apple rust, although this is not usually an issue in the UK.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Elk River was discovered in the Elk River area of Minnesota in the 1930s, and introduced by the Niels Hansen of the South Dakota Agriculture Experiment Station.

Elk River characteristics