Why Plant Purple Prince Flowering Crabapple?
Food for the birds, and rosy pink flowers for you! Purple Prince Crabapple is a flashy ornamental tree that asks for little, but gives so much. In spring, the deep crimson buds burst open to reveal a bevy of rich pink blossoms. The flowers are borne in such abundance that they completely cover the branches! In fall, maroon fruits that look like tiny apples (and are, in fact, tiny apples) appear where the flowers once were. In winter, songbirds will come to dine on the fruits, now softened and more palatable to wildlife. Cedar waxwings and robins are their biggest fans. Purple Prince is similar to the deservedly popular Prairie Fire Crabapple, though there are a few differences. Purple Prince is faster growing, more upright, and more densely branched. Both have rich pink flowers and purple foliage and are resistant to the diseases that may attack Crabapples.
Crabapple Trees, which are really just Apple Trees with very small fruits (less than two inches in diameter), come in all shapes and sizes, with flowers in white, ruby-red, and all shades in between, and fruit in red, orange, and gold. Purple Prince is the one you want when you want a vigorous, upright-growing type with good pink flowers and purple foliage (the leaves do change to bronzy-green when the weather gets very hot). It was bred by Father John Fiala of Ohio and patented in 1992, two years after his death. Father Fiala, a Catholic priest and plant breeder, was best known for his Lilac introductions—78 in all.
How to use Purple Prince Flowering Crabapple in the landscape?
With its vividly deep pink flowers and purple-bronze foliage, the Purple Prince deserves a royal location in your landscape. He will make himself at home as a specimen tree in your landscape, planted in a grove, in a wildlife garden, or as a beautiful street tree.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 4-8
How To Plant Purple Prince Flowering Crabapple
The Purple Prince Crabapple is easy to please and makes a good tree for novice gardeners. Plant it in an open, sunny area with good air circulation. Purple Prince isn’t picky about soil and will grow even in heavy clay as long as drainage is adequate.
How To Water
Be sure to keep your tree well supplied with water during the establishment period, so it can develop a strong root system. We recommend watering every three to four days, slowly, deeply, and thoroughly. In subsequent years, it will be relatively drought tolerant.
How To Fertilize
We recommend applying the Bower & Branch Starter Plant Food when first planting. This will ensure your tree has the nutrients it needs as it begins to establish itself in your landscape. For ongoing care, we recommend reapplying each spring and fall for the first three years.
How To Prune
Do any pruning directly after blooming, except for suckers that appear at the base of the tree, which may be removed at any time. You'll want to remove any crossed branching that you see, or any damaged or dead branches.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
