– apples of paradise – apple trees with small decorative fruits that make excellent jam. In our gardens, hybrids and varieties are most often found homemade apple tree with Chinese, Siberian, Ranetka and other apple trees.
Apple tree "Evereste"
During flowering (which lasts about 2 weeks), it is impossible to take your eyes off the apple tree, and the aroma from the white or pink flowers is simply dizzying. And when the fruits are formed, the trees are no less decorative. Apples on many varieties remain hanging until mid-winter, providing food for birds. Decorative apple trees reach a height of 3 to 10 meters depending on the variety, but can be easily shaped by pruning.
Chinese plum apple tree(Malusprunifolia), which comes from China, gets its name from its leaf shape, which resembles that of the Chinese plum tree. These are tall, unpretentious, drought-resistant trees (up to 10 m) with abundant fruiting even after harsh winters. In addition, they bloom very beautifully and profusely. Breeders have developed many forms with different sizes, crown shapes and fruit colors. The most common varieties are “Kitayka apricot” and “Kitayka Saninskaya”.
There are well-known frost-resistant varieties bred by Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin: “Dessert Chinese”, “Aniseed Chinese” and “Early golden Chinese”.
In the gardens of the Moscow region you can find winter-hardy Canadian variety "Kerr" with a good crown that does not require formative pruning. The variety has beautiful, non-shattering dark red fruits that can be used for decorations. New Year's table. Apples are delicious both fresh and in preparations: compotes, preserves, jams, marmalade, juices, wine, cider.
Quite often you can find them on sale now. variety "Royalty" With pink flowers and purple fruits up to 2 cm in diameter. Only the blossoming leaves with a purple tint are very beautiful in this variety.
Variety "Ola" Delights with bronze-red foliage, pink flowers and pink-purple apples.
Extraordinarily beautiful Niedzwiedzki apple tree during flowering: the buds are red-violet, and the flowers are bright raspberry-purple. The apples of this apple tree are dark red-violet and up to 2 cm in diameter.
Variety "Transitional" the latest blooming has creamy white flowers and yellow apples with a reddish side.
Scab resistant variety "Long", brought from the USA, will annually delight you with an abundance of bright red small apples.
The most frost-resistant ornamental apple trees are apple tree varieties th (Malusbaccata), Siberian. They can withstand frosts down to -50 degrees. But the fruits of the varieties are very small, like currants, yellow, red and orange flowers. All varieties are simply amazing when flowering. U varieties "Hopa" the flowers are purple-pink with a lilac tint, while the variety “StreetParade” has pink buds and white flowers.
Highly winter-hardy, medium-sized Ranetka apple trees were obtained by crossing a Siberian with large-fruited varieties. The most famous are “Ranetka Ermolaeva” and “Ranetka purple”.
Good winter-hardy, well-fruiting varieties have been bred from crossing Ranetki with domestic apple varieties (“Melba”, “Papirovka”, “Pepin saffron”, etc.): “Winter Saffron”, “Altai Dove”, “Scarlet Flower”, “Malinka”, etc. .
Location, soil
Ornamental apple trees grow well in sunny or semi-shaded places. In the lowlands, where cold air accumulates, they can freeze in the first years. Groundwater on the site should be located no higher than 2 meters to the soil level.
The soil for ornamental apple trees is prepared in the same way as for ordinary ones. Recommended composition: garden soil, peat, humus (compost), sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:0.5. For one tree, 100-120 g of any granular complex fertilizer is added to this mixture.
Landing
Ornamental apple trees with an open root system in the Moscow region are recommended to be planted in the spring: March-April or in the fall: from September 15 to October 10-15. Before planting, seedlings are soaked for 6-12 hours in a solution of any root stimulant (, humate, etc.), or you can use folk remedies. Before planting, you need to carefully examine the roots: broken and diseased ones are cut back to healthy tissue, the sections are sprinkled charcoal. Plant the apple tree in pre-prepared soil. The pit for planting is prepared in advance, at least 2 weeks in advance. When planting in spring, it is better to dig a hole in the fall. The recommended size of the planting hole is 50x60 cm. Please note that the soil will settle a little after planting, pulling the seedling with it. Therefore, we plant the apple tree so that the root collar (who doesn’t know what it is, look at it) is 4-5 cm above ground level, making a mound of soil. The roots need to be carefully straightened and completely covered with soil, compacting it. After planting, water the seedling thoroughly; you can use the root stimulator solution in which the apple tree was soaked, diluting it with water. Then the soil will definitely be added.
If an ornamental apple tree is purchased in a container, then it can be planted throughout the entire gardening period. Before planting, the container with the seedling should also be soaked in a solution of any stimulant or simply in water until air bubbles appear on the surface of the water (about 20-30 minutes).
Care
Ornamental apple trees, although they are less demanding on growing conditions than garden apple trees, require mandatory watering in dry summers. (2-3 buckets per tree).
Application in landscape design
The decorative apple tree looks great as a tapeworm on the lawn. However, ornamental apple trees can be used to form a hedge.
Almost all gardeners grow apple trees in their country plots. Delicious fruits and a rich harvest become a worthy reward for your work. But among the fragrant beauties there are species whose purpose is not to harvest, but to decorate the landscape. Ornamental apple trees are a very bright and beautiful plant, with graceful decorative leaves and delicate flowers. They also bear fruit, but as a rule they are not suitable for food. But the beautiful appearance completely compensates for the lack of harvest.
The blossoming of the decorative apple tree is an incredible sight: it is so abundant that the branches are literally showered bright colors, while the leaves are practically invisible. The color of the inflorescences can be white, pink, dark red. Even completely young tree is able to decorate the garden with its spectacular flowering. IN landscape design this species can easily replace the famous sakura in Japanese gardens. The garden planting retains its decorative value until frost. After flowering, the yard is decorated with beautiful leaves, and then small fruits. The size of the fruits is no more than 4 cm, they hang on the tree for a very long time, attracting birds to the garden. Birds, as you know, are the first fighters against insect pests.
Application in landscape design
It’s hard to imagine Japanese style, as popular as it has been recently, without the symbol of this country - sakura. But the sophisticated plant does not grow in harsh climates; designers replace it with an equally luxurious decorative apple tree. Their lush flowering and pleasant aroma are very similar. Apple bushes, buried in white foam or a scarlet blaze of flowering, harmoniously combine with Sakhalin cherries, Ussuri plums and Manzhurian apricots. Entire clearings are allotted to them, where garden plantings fulfill their important mission - decorate the garden.
The stunning blooming of the ornamental apple tree creates a special microclimate in the landscape design, embodying luxury and chic. Due to its unpretentiousness, garden planting is often used as a bright accent among evergreen needles. One plant or a small group will undoubtedly be able to attract attention and become a bright spot that can dilute the calm coniferous greenery.
A wide range of colors is used in many compositions. The standard form of a decorative apple tree beautifully decorates the entrance to the yard or the path leading to the house.
Stunningly beautiful during flowering and perfectly maintaining its decorative value throughout the warm season, the apple tree occupies a special place among trees and shrubs. Easily molded and modeled, gardeners create all kinds of shapes.
In the natural style, the garden planting fits well into the overall “pristine” appearance with its naturalness. It is not always noticeable that the existing shape of the crown is the work of man. In winter, the plant also decorates the garden. Small fruits hang in clusters and do not fall off even at high temperatures. Covered with frost, they create a real rustic flavor and attract flocks of chirping birds.
The correct layout of fruit trees plays an important role. All agrotechnical requirements must be observed to achieve a decorative effect. Decorative apple trees are planted in sunny meadows, hills and near water. The latter option is often used in the design of a Japanese garden. The incredibly beautiful blossoms reflected in the water create a picturesque landscape, like paintings by Flemish painters.
A decorative representative is also planted surrounded by shrubs, against the backdrop of a well-groomed lawn. These can be tree peonies, park rose bushes and chokeberry. Their varied flowering and fruiting visually shade and highlight each other. Having such a composition in your garden is a tempting prospect. By choosing unpretentious representatives, you can enjoy incredible beauty with a minimum of effort.
Compatibility with other plants
Meadows with decorative apple trees planted in a small group look beautiful. The free space is filled with strawberries, raspberries or other berry bushes. Also used as background plants are iris, peony, sweet tobacco and daisies. Along the paths a mixborder of decorative varieties of apple trees, strawberries, chives, and tenacious trees is planted. Low-growing plants decorate the group planting in the first level.
The garden planting is used as a hedge along with Japanese quince, blackberry, hops and virgin grapes. In the Japanese garden, the combination of ornamental apple tree, lemongrass, damson, chaenomelis and other plants has already become a classic. It can be supplemented with several varieties of spirea, weigela or Japanese kerria.
The original combination of a bizarre crown and interesting leaf color combines decorative apple trees, catalpas with yellow and red pods, fieldfare, barberry and lilac. By planting a composition according to height, duration of flowering and shade of inflorescences, you can create a flowerbed that will change and refresh the landscape over several seasons.
In the company of fruit bushes (raspberries, currants, serviceberry) the decorative apple tree looks wonderful. This group of plants is also suitable for a low hedge or border. Beautiful flowering followed by the appearance of fruits makes any garden rich and symbolic.
Species and varietal diversity
Special decorative properties The following varieties are famous:
Weeping
Long flexible branches adorn the twelve-meter trunk. The variety has remained virtually unchanged. An unpretentious, frost-resistant plant.
Bred in a hybrid way. Reaches 5-6 meters in height and the width of the crown reaches the same amount. The petals are richly purple shade, which gives the flowering an unforgettable look.
Hybrid variety resistant to unfavorable conditions environment. The height of the bush can be 3-4 meters, the width of the crown ranges from 2 to 3 meters. During the growing season, the leaves decorate the garden with their purple hue; closer to the formation of fruits, they change their color to green.
A distinctive feature is slow growth. The culture is unpretentious, frost-resistant, an adult plant reaches 5 meters in height and 3 meters in crown diameter. The wait for the unusual purple leaves of a mature garden planting takes up to 9 years.
The blooming buds have a rich raspberry hue and a berry-like aroma. The bush is low - 3-3.5 meters, the crown is spreading and spherical.
The difference between this variety is its edible fruits, from which you can make compote and jam. The tree grows wild and tolerates even harsh climatic conditions. An adult plant reaches 11 meters. The appearance is classic - white flowers framed by green leaves.
A frequent guest in landscape design. It has a weeping form with drooping branches and grows quickly. When the foliage blooms in spring, it has purple tint, closer to autumn it changes it to emerald.
Reproduction, planting and care
When planting, the hole should be larger than the root system; the roots are carefully straightened and covered with a loose, fertile mixture. Active growth of the root system is the key to good growth and development of the tree itself. After planting, provide abundant watering and mulching. Sawdust, compost, peat can be used. This will help moisture evaporate less, stop the appearance of weeds and improve the survival of the seedling. Under no circumstances should the root collar be buried.
Caring for an ornamental apple tree differs little from maintaining a regular one. The decorative variety is less whimsical; if planted incorrectly or with minor mistakes, this will not affect the condition of the tree itself. Still, gardeners recommend adhering to certain rules. Plays an important role right place for landing. It is better to plant decorative varieties of apple trees in places where there is enough light and there is no stagnation of moisture in the soil. The root system must be provided with good drainage; constantly wet roots can rot. Saplings with an open root system need sufficient moisture; overdrying will destroy them.
Video - Decorative apple trees
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 are able to grow an ornamental tree, like one, since such plants do not require special conditions growth and 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 on 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 scab and powdery mildew of the apple tree - 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 middle lane 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 time the reddish bark of the branches also gives the plant decorative look. 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 Oh.
The variety is pure 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. The red ones are gradually ripening on the tree. large fruits, which can persist 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 becomes covered big amount 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 hedge, can be planted separately or in group planting.
Royal Beauty
The plant is 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 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 are well tolerated 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?
| Variety | Height (m) | Foliage color | Flower color | Fruit color |
| Godlen Hornet | 3-5 | green | white | yellow |
| John Downey | 4-6 | green | white-pink | bright red |
| Lesnaya | 10 | green | soft pink | yellow-green |
| Lisette | 5-7 | green-brown | blue-red | garnet red |
| Makamic | 4-6 | dark red-green | dark purple | red |
| Nedzvetsky | 10 | Dark red | dark red | dark red |
| Fusion | 5-7 | red-brown | carmine red | red-brown |
| Royalty | 3-4 | purple-red | carmine purple | dark red |
| 5-6 | bronze green | rose red | orange | |
| Tina | 1,5-2 | green | pink and white | red |
| Hillery | 5-7 | green | pink | yellow-orange |
| Everest | 4-6 | green | white-pink | orange-red |
Features of planting and growing
Growing ornamental varieties of apples has some differences compared to ordinary apple trees.
- The soil. For the most part, ornamental apple trees do not have special requirements to the ground 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.
- Landing. The process of decorative varieties is almost no different from ordinary apple trees. Spring is the best time for this.
- 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.
- Landing place. It is advisable to prepare the planting hole a month before planting, and better in autumn previous year. The diameter of the pit should be about 80 cm and the depth about 1 m.
- 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
- Apple trees can not only produce healthy fruits, but also be worthy decoration garden
- Thanks to the variety of decorative varieties, you can choose trees by color and size.
- Most ornamental apple trees have unusual colors of flowers and fruits. It is also common for tree leaves and bark to become stained.
- The fruits of most ornamental varieties are inedible, but can decorate a tree even in winter.
- Decorative apples can be consumed in processed form. However, the fruits of some species can cause food poisoning.
- Ornamental apple trees are unpretentious to planting conditions, but for sufficient flowering they need abundant lighting.
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 form bright accents and decorate even the 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 stalks.
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, bark are suitable for this. coniferous trees, nut shell.
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 dachas, 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 become 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.
Decorative apple trees in spring
Actually, spring is the cherished time for which ornamental apple trees exist primarily, since their flowering is a truly magical sight. For example, I.V. Michurin writes about the hybrids obtained from the pink-flowered Nedzvetsky apple tree, which he used in breeding: “All the trees... give a spectacular, rare beauty of some tropical plants... They were mistaken for magnolias, they thought that they were seeing a particularly tall type of azaleas.”
And since we're talking about pink varieties, then the choice here is quite large. You can note a variety such as, for example, Rudolph.
It was obtained in Canada in 1954. It's very plentiful flowering tree up to 5-6 m high. It blooms with large pink-red flowers, which cover the tree so densely that the foliage fades into the background. By autumn it is covered with bright orange fruits.
In the variety Profusion interesting distinctive feature: leaves of unusual shape - three-lobed. The flowers are lilac-pink, simple. It is also distinguished by abundant annual flowering.
But the variety is especially noteworthy Brandy Magic.
He is awesome! Its double flowers for apple trees are, one might say, simply huge (up to 5 cm in diameter), and their tone is also completely unusual - warm. And even if the flowering is not so abundant, the flowers with large stamens, similar to miniature roses, make it stand out from all the others.
It should be noted that varieties with white flowers are also popular, especially if they are dwarf and do not take up much space in the garden, such as Tina variety. It grows slowly, reaching about 3 m in diameter when mature. Red buds unfurl into small white flowers with golden stamens. There are so many of them on the branches that the tree or shrub appears to be covered with snow.
Decorative apple trees in summer
The time is much calmer, but even now apple trees do not remain colorless extras, while many beautiful flowering shrubs, and generally recognized garden favorites, cannot boast of this. They have only one high point - flowering, then for some it would be better if they were completely forgotten until the next flowering. Apple trees compare very favorably with them.
Many varieties of ornamental apple trees have either a purple color or a purple tint to the leaves. This is due to the fact that they originated from Niedzwiecki apple trees, which served as the donor of such coloring. The most striking representative of purple-leaved varieties is Royalty, which many have already heard, up to 5 m in height. Its leaves are such a thick dark purple color (especially in spring) that the royal burgundy flowers and fruits are almost lost against their background.
By autumn, many purple-leaved forms often turn somewhat green, but the color still remains quite striking. Dark foliage is well complemented by shrubs and trees with white-variegated foliage in multi-color compositions. But when planting, remember that in the shade the intensity of the purple color decreases.
Decorative apple trees in autumn
The breeding direction of ornamental apple trees provides for the abundance of fruits and their long stay on the trees, and taste qualities are practically not considered. Although there are varieties with pleasant taste fruits For example, Golden Hornet) – its apples are small (2.5 cm), rich yellow with a tan on the sunny side, and remain on the branches for a long time. Abundant fruiting turns this apple tree into a tree hung with gold beads, which looks cheerful even when the leaves fall off and the skeleton of the tree is exposed.
Among the most decorative and at the same time edible are the fruits of the variety John Downie– dark yellow with red barrels (with sunny side), relatively large, they can be eaten fresh, made into compotes or used for jam.
Decorative apple trees in winter
During the first half of winter we continue to admire the fruits that are hung on branches that have lost their foliage. Often this is the only bright spot in an empty, dim garden that has forgotten about the sun.
In addition, in winter, varieties with original form crowns, it is now that one can fully appreciate their unusualness. The most interesting are weeping and umbrella apple trees. To obtain them, use a short apple tree, grafting it onto a tall trunk. These umbrellas look great either alone or in groups, especially if they differ in height from each other.
Breeders could not ignore such unusual crowns. This is how they appeared varieties Red Jade, Cheat's Weeping, Royal Beauty with weeping hanging branches, and of course, rich flowering.
But enough of the “crying.” Let's leave sadness behind and turn to cheerful vertical forms.
Columnar apple trees with edible fruits immediately crossed the border separating orchard from decorative. There are varieties that, although not pure columns, also have narrow vertical crowns.
For example, in the variety Van Eseltine(with white-pink semi-double flowers, about 5 cm in diameter) the crown in youth is first narrow-columnar-shaped, then funnel-shaped. Street Parade characterized by a dense narrow oval crown, and Red Obelisk In addition to the columnar shape of the crown, it attracts with red foliage. You can always find a place in the garden for these compact trees.
Ornamental apple trees: purchasing and planting
The first question when buying apple trees is: what do you want to see in the garden when you purchase a decorative apple tree? Answer options: pink cloud of flowers in spring, unusual reddish foliage all over summer season, a lot of bright fruits (edible or not) in the fall, an original crown (even after the leaves have fallen) or both. Depending on the answer, different varieties of apple trees are chosen. But in any case, the most important indicator is winter hardiness (the ability to withstand not only the most severe frosts in the middle of winter, but also temperature changes at the end). The vast majority of varieties we sell are winter-hardy enough for the middle zone.
SO, HAVING DECIDED ON THE VARIETY, select a specific seedling. As a rule, container plants are now available for sale. Please note that the plant was actually grown in it, and not just planted. It is quite simple to determine this - a plant grown in a container holds its roots tightly to a lump of earth, and if you take it by the trunk and lift it, it rises along with the lump. Plants that have been recently dug up and just planted in containers typically do not have as well-developed root systems as those in containers, so the soil falls off the roots.
If we're talking about For a variety with a regular crown shape, it is preferable to choose symmetrical specimens.
When purchasing weeping forms, you need to pay attention to the height of the trunk (the trunk itself). All apple tree seedlings are grafted plants. Only in standard crowns the scion (wildstock) is the root and sometimes a small lower part of the trunk, the entire top is the scion, and in weeping rootstocks the rootstock is both the roots and the trunk. The graft of weeping forms is located in the upper part of the trunk, and since weeping crowns grow upward little, mainly to the sides and down, then on a small trunk the branches of the tree will soon fall on the lawn and it will lose its attractiveness, since the trunk (trunk) no longer grows upward will increase. Only the grafted upper part will grow further. Therefore, for weeping and umbrella forms, a high standard (at least 1.5 m) is preferable. If shoots appear from the crown or on the trunk of the rootstock, they must be removed immediately - these are wild shoots. If this is not done, they may clog the grafted part over time.
When planting, the seedling is thoroughly watered. IN landing hole add 2-3 buckets of humus or compost and subsequently carry out standard fertilizing - nitrogen fertilizers in the spring, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in the fall, which helps annual abundant flowering and fruiting.
Planting a decorative apple tree
PLANTING Place decorative apple trees in a well-lit place, the optimal acidity of fertile, well-drained soil is pH 6-6.5. The size of the plant, depending on the variety, is about 5 m in height, 3-4 m in width when mature. Protection from pests and diseases is the same as for fruit trees.
In the first years after planting, if the tree is not formed, proper pruning is necessary. It is usually carried out in early spring, before the buds bloom on the branches. Of course, if the tree is not shaped, then it does not die and even in most cases feels quite cheerful, but its decorative effect will leave much to be desired.
Standard crowns are pruned in the same way as fruit crowns - dry, broken, intersecting branches are removed, forming a cup-shaped or columnar crown (depending on the variety). Index correct pruning– after this the tree should look beautiful.
For weeping crowns, pruning is somewhat different. Long branches are shortened so that this year's shoots can grow to the sides rather than down. Therefore, pruning is done on the buds that look up; the shoots growing from them will expand the diameter of the umbrella.
Compositions with decorative apple trees
If you plant a decorative apple tree solo on the lawn, then your only concern will be maintaining the shape of the crown, watering and fertilizing, and decorative effect The apple tree itself will answer. However, you can try a more complex option for decorating a corner of the garden using other woody and/or herbaceous plants, that is, to compose a composition.
A win-win option for large gardens is to plant several varieties of ornamental apple trees, differing in the shade of flowers and leaves. At the same time, it is desirable to have a similar character of the crown and the final size of the tree. For example, the varieties Hopa (Nora) with soft pink flowers and Royalty with deep red flowers look great together. The spectacular juxtaposition of white and pink-flowered varieties will also be with the silver birch Purpurea, whose dark foliage will set off the tenderness of the apple tree flowers.
If the size of the garden is limited and the space allows you to plant only one apple tree, then successful 
partners in a composition with it can be varieties of mountain pine, large varieties of western thuja (with pruning in the future).
LEAVED SHRUBS can be used as decorative deciduous species, selecting the variety depending on the shade of the apple tree flowers. Purple-leaved bladderworts, varieties of Ottawa barberry or large varieties of Thunberg barberry will look good with white and pink-flowered apple trees.
In a warm area, a reliable and long-lasting decorative combination can be obtained using purple-leaved varieties of black elderberry. Elderberry is easy to shape, so you can always keep the volume of the bush at the desired size. With red-flowered apple trees, you can plant thuja western Albospicata, variegated varieties of white deer, mock orange Variegatus, black elderberry Pulvirulenta or Albovariegata in one composition.
A composition with a decorative apple tree will attract attention all season long if we include long-flowering shrubs in it. Potentilla bush varieties will not cause much trouble. We will plant light-loving cinquefoil on the most illuminated side of the composition. Compositions of Japanese spirea or Bumalda varieties planted in the foreground can also be useful.
All the shrubs and trees that you include in a composition with an ornamental apple tree will sooner or later have to be shaped at least once a season, or even more often. This must be taken into account immediately when choosing a distance when planting, so that it is convenient to approach each plant in the composition.
Trunk CIRCLE apple tree It is advisable to keep it clean for the first few years after planting. Then you can sod it or plant herbaceous perennials there. Small-bulbous ephemeroids for spring flowering are very unpretentious, do not require fertilizing or dividing bulb nests, are easily propagated by self-sowing and naturalize in the garden over time. Under the apple tree you can plant dense corydalis, Siberian and two-leaved scillas, chionodoxes, and snowdrops.
These crops will bloom when the apple tree is just unfurling its leaves. At the same time as the apple tree, muscari blooms, and among the traditional bulbous plants, daffodils and tulips with a medium flowering period. Muscari can be planted in trunk circle, daffodils and tulips - in specially designated places on the illuminated side of the composition. Primrose, large-leaved brunnera, and round-leaved saxifrage get along well under the apple tree. You can “launch” a dotted bell into the tree trunk circle - it blooms from the end of June for more than a month, is unpretentious, has a superficial root system(that is, it will not offend our apple tree), it easily spreads into stolons and will quickly occupy the proposed area.
Varieties of ornamental apple trees: photos
Decorative apple tree - cultivation, types and varieties: professional advice
When planting an orchard, we, of course, think about the harvest. And now the garden is happily blooming and bearing fruit, but something is missing from it... Maybe inspiration? Luxurious ornamental apple trees can help with this
It is quite simple to distinguish an ornamental apple tree from a fruit variety: its apples are used for decoration, not for harvest. Most often they are small, brightly colored and stay on the branch for a long time without falling off. But this apparent simplicity dissolves when it comes to choosing a plant for your garden.
What is most often asked when the conversation turns to ornamental apple trees?
“Are their fruits edible?” Such a question seems illogical in light of the fact that the value of plants is in the color of flowers and leaves, the shape and size of fruits, and, finally, in habit, but not in edibility. But no!
The brain is designed in such a way that apples should be apples, and not an artificial decoration on a tree. Well, it must be admitted that only a few ornamental apple trees have bitter, slightly astringent fruits - more often they have completely edible fruits, or in general these are varieties with outstanding decorative qualities. But first things first.
IT IS IMPORTANT!
When choosing a variety, it is important to pay attention to the winter hardiness of the rootstock and the presence of intercalary inserts (when an M9 cutting is first grafted onto an ordinary strong or medium-growing rootstock, and a bud or cutting of a cultivated variety is grafted onto its top).
Where to plant
Among the peculiarities of cultivation, it should be noted that it is better to choose sunny, sheltered from the wind places for planting. Soils are better with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction, preferably sandy loam or loamy, drained.
Required watering
In hot weather, apple trees need watering. The amount of moisture directly affects the yield. Lack of spring rains leads to shedding of flowers and ovaries. Summer water deficiency causes the fall of formed fruits. And the autumn dryness increases the outflow of nutrients from the generative buds.
Repeated flowering
Sometimes the weather conditions of the year cause apple trees to re-bloom. Most often - in September. Last time This phenomenon was observed in 2007. This is an anomaly for the plant. At the same time, generative buds open, intended for next spring.
And, although repeated flowering is quite decorative, it is still better to pick off the buds that open in September. Otherwise, the plant will waste energy, which will negatively affect overwintering. In any case, you can’t expect vigorous spring flowering.
Spectacular fruits
From August until the fruits fall, the effect of a fruit alley will be created by hybrid apple trees of various varieties on high trunks, planted on both sides of the path. And different colors of apples will only enhance the effect.
Varieties of ornamental apple trees are the most beautiful
Red-beautiful apple tree – 2
In spring and early summer, stately snow-white, with a delicate marshmallow-pink bloom, the beauties of apple trees attract our attention. No less good are decorative apple trees, which bloom with pink, crimson and almost red flowers.
Let's turn our attention not to newfangled, widely advertised varieties of ornamental apple trees, which often cost crazy amounts of money, but to more traditional, species-specific ones: they are no worse.
NEDZVETSKY
One of the most beloved, widespread and recognizable ornamental apple trees is me. Niedzwiec-kogo. It looks exotic among ordinary plants. It's painted in
NIEDZWICKI'S APPLE TREE HAS ALL PARTS DIFFERENT SHADES OF PURPLE:
red-brown bark of the trunk and branches, young leaves are burgundy-crimson, and old ones are green with a reddish tint; luxurious rich magenta-pink flowers, dark purple peel and bright pink fruit pulp in different shades of purple everything: red-brown bark of the trunk and branches, young leaves are burgundy-crimson, and old ones are red-green, magenta-pink flowers, dark -purple peel and bright pink flesh of the fruit.
Interestingly, this species synthesizes the anthocyanin pigment (responsible for the red color) throughout the entire season from the beginning of the growing season to the end, whereas in most other plants anthocyanin synthesis occurs only in spring or autumn. Flowering occurs in late May - early June.
And by August, the entire tree, whose height does not exceed 7-8 m, is covered with purple (to violet) apples with shiny glossy sides. The fruits are small, up to 1 cm in diameter, but numerous. The high winter hardiness of this apple tree allows it to overwinter without shelter and grow in its own root form, and not in a grafted form, which is more typical for ornamental apple trees.
The first varieties are me. Nedzvetsky were received in Germany. Just 100 years ago, this was the most common type of ornamental apple tree in Europe. This type of apple tree forms a beautiful crown shape, reminiscent of a bright tent. It is resistant to diseases and pests. Tolerates pruning (in early spring), but most often does not need it. But it does not grow well with excessive soil moisture.
Dwarfs and umbrellas Two more types of apple trees deserve the close attention of garden design lovers and professionals.
LOWEST.
I have the reputation of being the lowest of the ornamental apple trees. Sargent. Its height is usually about 2 m. And its cultural forms are usually dwarf. Abundant flowering turns into equally abundant fruiting. Although the fruits are quite difficult to call apples in the usual way. They look more like a bouquet of bright berries. The diameter of the fruit is 6 -8 mm. The fruits are carmine, dark red, bright red on very long stalks (up to 3 - 4 cm), which looks unusual in contrast with the small fruits. By autumn the leaves become warm shades red gold. The fruits stay on the tree for a long time, maintaining the decorative appearance of the plant after leaf fall. In addition, this species tolerates planting on heavy soils.
