Malus x purpurea x ioensis Brandywine
- Flower colour: Pink
- Leaf colour: Green
- Growth habit: Spreading
- Fruit colour: Orange
Brandywine is a new crab-apple which features a mass of light pink flowers. Unusually in a crab-apple, many of the flowers are "double", with many more petals than the simple "single" flowers of most crab-apples. As a result the blossom looks more like that of a flowering cherry than a crab-apple, and close up the flowers resemble miniature roses.
To add to the spring interest, the blossom also has a rose-like scent.
In autumn there is an abundance of small yellow fruits, which are useful for birds but tend to fall quickly from the tree. In fact, unusually for a crab-apple, the main autumn interest is the foliage, which turns from green to orange-red.
Brandywine was developed from a well-known purple-blossom crab-apple Malus x purpurea 'Lemoinei', crossed with a cultivar of the Prairie Crab, Malus ioensis 'Klehm's Improved', from which it inherits its fragrant double flowers.
Brandywine trees for sale
2-year Brandywine tree - in a 12L pot
3m-5m tall after 10 years
£40.95
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How to grow
Brandywine is easy to grow and generally disease-resistant. Its Prarie Crab ancestry ensures it is very cold-hardy. It has a spreading habit and is likely to get wider than it is tall.
As with many double-flowered or dark-blossomed crab-apples, the pollen is sterile and will not pollinate other apple varieties.
Brandywine characteristics
Growing
- Attractive features:
Attractive flowers Attractive fruit Attractive tree / plant Autumn foliage colour Scented flowers
- Height 10 years:
3m-5m / 10ft-16ft
- Growth habit:
Spreading
- Growth rate:
Average
- Vigour:
Average vigour
- Sunlight:
Prefers full sun
- Blossom duration:
Average (2-3 weeks)
- Pruning:
Light prune
- Disease resistance:
Average
- Self-fertility:
Self-fertile
- Gardening skill:
Suitable for beginners
Identification
- Country of origin:
United States
- Flowering month:
April
- Flower colour:
Pink
- Flower form:
Double flower (25-50 petals)
- Flower size:
Medium
- Leaf colour:
Green
- Leaf colour - young:
Light red
- Leaf colour - autumn:
Orange / Red
- Fruit colour:
Orange
- Fruit size:
Average
- Annual cycle:
Deciduous
Using
- Fruit persistence:
Fruit drops when ripe
- Wildlife:
Attractive to birds
How to choose a crab-apple tree
We have a very wide range of 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.
