Crimson Cascade crab apple trees
Malus x purpurea
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- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
- Blossom colour: Crimson
- Fruit colour: Red - dark
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
Pot-grown

All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.
All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.
PG12-year 12L pot-grown tree Semi-vigorous rootstock£71.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£44.00
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 31st March
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
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
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group3
- Pollinating othersPoor
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesMild damp climates
- Picking seasonLate
- CroppingGood
- Food usesNot suitable for humans
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1950 - 1999
- Flowering monthApril
- Blossom colourCrimson
- Fruit colourRed - dark
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
Find out more.
In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
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Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions.
Find out more.
More about crab apple trees
We have a huge range of crab-apple trees, with blossom colours from white to dark crimson, and fruitlet colours from red to orange to yellow, and lots of different sizes and forms.
It is well-known that many crab-apples (especially the ones with white blossom and green leaves) are excellent pollinators for mainstream apple varieties. This is because they produce huge quantities of pollen, usually over a long period, and with good compatiblity. Evereste, Golden Gem, Golden Hornet, John Downie and Red Sentinel are popular for this purpose.
While crab-apples are primarily used for their ornamental value, many are also useful for crab-apple jelly, and providing natural pectin for cooking with. Have a look at Laura, Jelly King, Pink Glow, and Harry Baker.