Crimson Cascade

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Crimson Cascade is a new weeping crab-apple, featuring long whippy branches which flow down almost to the ground.

The main spring attraction is the mass of dusky pink blossom. The blossom is a combination of single and semi-double flowers.

In summer the cascading branches and green-bronze leaves make the tree a useful focal point in the garden.

In autumn the tree displays small round dark red/purple fruitlets.

Crimson Cascade crab-apple trees for sale

• 11-year bare-root tree £44.00
  Medium size (2.5m-3.5m after 10 years)
  

  Out of stock
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• 22-year pot-grown tree £70.00
  In a 12L pot
  Medium size (2.5m-3.5m after 10 years)
  

  Out of stock
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How to grow

Weeping crab-apples usually remain fairly small, up to 2m or so but Crimson Cascade will eventually become a fairly large weeping tree, up to 3m or more in good conditions.

History

Crimson Cascade was raised by retired chemist Alan Warwick in Yorkshire, UK in the 1980s. At a time when almost all new plants are developed in huge university breeding programmes, Crimson Cascade was discovered the old-fashioned way - by planting a pip and watching it grow. In this case the pip was from a crab-apple called Malus x purpurea 'Aldenhamensis'. Crimson Cascade resembles Aldenhamensis in almost every respect except one - Aldenhamensis grows with a regular upright-spreading habit, whereas Crimson Cascade is strongly weeping. However, the branches of Aldenhamensis are quite long and whippy and it is not hard to see how a weeping form could have arisen from it.

Crimson Cascade was shortlisted for the Plant of the Year award at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2017.

Crimson Cascade characteristics

• Gardening skillBeginner
• Attractive featuresAttractive flowersAttractive fruitAttractive tree / plantAttractive foliage
• Growth habitWeeping
• Height after 10 years2.5m-3.5m / 8ft-12ft
• SunlightPrefers full sun
• PruningNo need to prune
• Growth rateAverage
• WildlifeAttractive to birds
• Flower colourCrimson
• Flower formSemi-double flower (10-20 petals)
• Flowering monthApril
• Leaf colourBronze
• Leaf colour - autumnBronze / Purple
• Leaf/Flower sequenceLeaves and Flowers appear together
• Fruit colourRed - dark
• Fruit sizeSmall
• Fruit persistencePersistent
• Country of originUnited Kingdom
• Annual cycleDeciduous

Similar varieties

• 
  Malus
  Louisa
  Malus Louisa is a pretty weeping crab apple with light pink blossom and small yellow fruitlets.
• 
  Malus
  Royal Beauty
  Royal Beauty is a compact weeping crab apple with crimson blossom and small crimson berry-like fruitlets.
• 
  Malus
  Sun Rival
  Malus Sun Rival is a popular weeping crab-apple, with pale pink blossom and small red berry-like fruitlets.

How to choose a crab-apple tree

We list more than 40 different crab-apple trees. Choosing can be difficult! See our article explaining the different characteristics of crab-apple trees which will help you narrow down the selection.