Royalty

Malus Royalty is a neat compact ornamental crab apple, and arguably one of the best varieties if you want a bronze-leaved form.

The young leaves have a purple-bronze colour when they emerge, which becomes a bronzed dark green over the summer.

Like most bronze-leaf varieties, the spring flowers are an attractive solid dark purple-red colour, and the fruitlets are a deep red colour.

Royalty crab-apple trees for sale

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

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

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How to grow

Malus Royalty is not as disease-resistant as most crab apple varieties, although much of the reason for this poor reputation comes from its great susceptibility to fireblight - a disease which can be devastating in some areas of the USA but is not virulent in the UK.

History

Malus Royalty was developed in Sutherland, Saskatchewan, Canada, in the 1960s by W.L. Kerr. It is one of a series collectively known as 'Rosybloom' crab-apples. These are hybrids derived from Malus 'Niedzwetzkyana', a unique red-fleshed crab-apple from central Asia which has been the starting point for almost all the bronze-leaved and purple-flowering crab-apple varieties we see today. As well as the strong anthocyanin pigmentation in the stems, leaves, flowers and fruits, most of these varieties are also very cold-hardy. 

Royalty characteristics

• Attractive featuresAttractive flowersAttractive fruitAttractive tree / plantAttractive foliage
• Flower colourRed - dark
• Flower formSingle flower (5-8 petals)
• Flowering monthApril
• Leaf colourBronze
• Leaf colour - autumnGreen
• Fruit colourRed - dark
• Fruit sizeAverage
• Country of originCanada
• Annual cycleDeciduous

Similar varieties

• 
  Malus domestica
  Niedzwetzkyana
  Niedzwetzkyana is a unique red-fleshed, red-skinned, red blossom crab-apple, originating from central Asia.
• 
  Malus domestica
  Roberts Crab
  An unusual red-fleshed crab-apple which has large purple fruits. The juice is a claret red colour.

What will it look like?

Illustrative example of a pot-grown tree of this variety as supplied. Approximate girth: 6/8cm. We try to keep all pot-grown trees down to about 1.5m as supplied, but some may be larger. Trees should reach their mature height after about 10 or more years. We may also have 1-year bare-root trees of this variety - they are not shown here.

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.