Royalty crab apple trees
Malus domestica
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- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
- Blossom colour: Red - dark
- Fruit colour: Red - dark
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
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)
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
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
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
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Disease resistancePoor
- Scab (Apple and Pear)Very susceptible
- Fire blightVery susceptible
- Country of originCanada
- Period of origin1950 - 1999
- Flowering monthApril
- Blossom colourRed - dark
- 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.
Find out more

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.