Decorative apple tree: varieties, photos in landscape design, names, height, planting, care

The decorative apple tree is represented by a large number of hardy and attractive varieties. To understand which tree is best to plant on your site, you need to study popular species.

How an ornamental apple tree blooms

The ornamental apple tree blooms annually, most often in early or mid-summer. The buds of the plant have a wide variety of shades depending on the variety and can be white, light pink, carmine red and raspberry purple. The flowering of the crop usually lasts at least two weeks.

At the end of the decorative period, the plant forms fruits, but they have no special value.The apples are too small, only up to 4 cm in diameter, and have a sour-bitter, unpleasant taste. Their purpose is mainly decorative - the fruits are bright and plentiful, do not fall off after ripening and remain on the shoots for a long time.

Varieties of ornamental apple trees with descriptions and photos

Types of ornamental apple trees differ in the timing and characteristics of flowering. In particular, it is customary to distinguish several varieties.

Everest

The decorative variety Everest has a spreading crown, the leaves of the plant are green, with a matte surface. During the flowering period, it blooms with white buds with pink stripes on the petals.

The fruits of the Everest apple variety are small, orange or reddish. They stay on the branches until the coldest weather and increase the decorative value of the plant.

The Everest variety reaches its peak decorative value at the end of May

Golden Hornet

The medium-sized Golden Hornet variety with a dense crown and hanging branches emits a pleasant sweetish aroma during the flowering period. It blooms with white and pink buds and bears numerous yellow small fruits. Apples are quite edible, but their taste is not the most pleasant, so they are usually not used for food purposes.

Attention! The variety is recommended to be planted in well-moistened sunny areas.

The Golden Hornet variety grows to an average height of 4.5 m

For a long time

Chinese apple tree, Long or Long (Dolgo) is a low tree with beautiful glossy leaves and large white flowers. The fruits of the variety are very small, green at the beginning of ripening, gradually turning yellow and acquiring red barrels with a bluish tinge. The taste of apples has a pronounced sourness. They are not eaten fresh, but are sometimes used in the preparation of compotes and wines.

The variety exudes a plum aroma for a long time during the flowering period.

Rudolf

The beautiful ornamental Rudolph apple tree is a multi-stemmed low shrub with dark green leaves. In the spring it bears small light pink buds, and in the fall it produces small bright yellow fruits. Apples decorate the plant right up to the cold weather. The variety is characterized by increased endurance and does not require complex care.

The Rudolph variety is recommended to be planted in brightly lit areas

Fusion

The decorative apple tree Profusion has a spreading crown with oval leaves of a dark burgundy color. The buds of the plant are white, stay on the branches for only about a week, but after falling off they are replaced by new ones throughout the spring. Small fruits with velvety skin adorn the shoots from the beginning to the end of summer.

Apple variety Profuzhen spreads up to 5 m in diameter

Weeping

The Weeping Apple Tree (Pendula) has drooping shoots that form a dense crown. The branches of the plant are thin and flexible, the flowers are small, pale pink. At the end of the decorative period, red compact fruits form on the shoots. They do not have valuable taste qualities.

It is better to plant ornamental crops in a sunny place. The plant loves good moisture and requires regular watering during drought.

The Weeping Apple tree grows up to 2.5 m above the ground

Robin

Robin, or Suislepa apple, is an ornamental variety with a thick, rounded crown and beautiful crimson buds. During the flowering period it becomes very similar to sakura. At the end of summer it bears small dark red fruits with average taste and is used in making preparations.

Malinovka apple tree is sensitive to waterlogging and fungal diseases

Scarlet

The decorative variety Scarlett reaches about 4 m in height. The crown of the apple tree is sparse, round or columnar in shape, the leaves are green with a reddish tint. The flowers of the tree are light or dark pink, densely covering the shoots.

Decorative apple variety Scarlet blooms profusely in May

Red Obelisk

The decorative variety Red Obelisk is distinguished by a red tint of leaves and a columnar crown of medium spreading. It blooms with small pink buds that densely cover the branches. The fruits are numerous, but small, yellow or red.

Attention! In good conditions, the Red Obelisk apple tree can re-bloom in the fall.

The fruits of the Red Obelisk apple tree remain on the shoots until frost

Royalty

The beautiful Royalty apple tree with purple leaves blooms in spring with numerous pink buds. In summer, the plates of the decorative variety become green with a slight purple tint. Closer to autumn, the tree bears purplish-red small fruits that remain on the branches until mid-winter.

Apple variety Royalty requires frequent pruning

Varieties and descriptions of ornamental apple trees with red leaves

Red-leaved varieties of ornamental apple trees look especially interesting on the site. Plants remain highly attractive throughout the season.

Makowieckiana

An ornamental tree up to 2 m tall has an even spherical crown. The branches of the plant are burgundy, the leaves are first red, and then become dark green with a brownish tint. The variety blooms with pink buds in May and June and remains decorative for about two weeks. The fruits of the apple tree are bright red and are used in making jams and preserves.

The Makovetsky apple tree spreads up to 4 m in diameter

Helena

An ornamental plant up to 4 m tall with a lush spreading crown reaches its maximum dimensions by the age of ten. It blooms profusely in spring and bears numerous red fruits in early summer that do not fall until autumn. The branches of the decorative variety are crimson, the leaves are elongated, glossy, and raspberry-pink in color.

Helena variety is well suited for growing in areas with unfavorable ecology

Royal Beauty

A frost-resistant variety of ornamental apple tree with red leaves grows up to 2.5-3 m and spreads up to 4 m wide. The crown shape is usually weeping or umbrella-shaped. The variety begins to bloom in May and lasts about two weeks; the buds are dark pink, bright and abundant.

In summer, small red fruits form on the branches. They fully ripen in September, but their taste is bitter and unpleasant.

The Royal Beauty variety tolerates cold temperatures down to -35 °C

Varieties of ornamental apple trees for the Moscow region

When choosing an ornamental variety for the Moscow region, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the region. The apple tree must have high frost resistance and good tolerance to excess humidity.

Makamik

A medium-sized ornamental apple tree up to 7 m above the ground has a well-developed dome-shaped crown. It grows successfully in the middle zone and in the Moscow region, but is not suitable for the Urals and Siberia. Prefers sunny places and fertile, moist soils. The leaves of the decorative variety are reddish-green, the flowers are purple and very abundant.

Makamik apples are suitable for making compotes and jams

Liset

An ornamental variety of apple tree rises to an average height of 5 m and is a spreading shrub or low tree.The flowers of the plant are red with a bluish tint, the fruits have a rich garnet hue. At a young age, the variety has a rounded compact crown, then the branches droop slightly.

The decorative variety Liset blooms most profusely in early May.

John Downie

The decorative apple tree is a tall variety and reaches an average height of 5-10 m. The crown of the tree is narrow at first, then grows to 3-6 m in diameter. The leaves are shiny dark green, the buds are white, collected in compact inflorescences.

The peak of the decorative effect of the variety occurs in mid-May. The fruits ripen in the second decade of September and remain on the branches until frost.

Decorative apple tree John Downey can withstand frosts down to -30 °C

How to plant a decorative apple tree

Planting an ornamental apple tree in the spring is not associated with great difficulties. First of all, you need to choose a suitable place for the culture. The plant prefers neutral and slightly acidic soils rich in organic matter. The apple tree develops best in illuminated areas, sheltered from the wind and cold drafts.

The immediate procedure for planting a plant is as follows:

In the selected area, dig a hole up to 60 cm deep.
Fill halfway with a soil mixture of leaf soil, humus and sand.
Apply about 500 g of wood ash and some mineral fertilizers to the hole.
Carefully lower the seedling in the center of the hole and fill it with the remaining soil.

After planting, the ornamental apple tree needs to be watered generously and mulched with straw. When placing several plants on a site, leave 2.5-3 m of free space between them.

Attention! If desired, you can plant a decorative apple tree in the fall, but no later than a month before the cold weather.

Propagation of ornamental apple trees

There are several ways to increase the plant population on a site:

Seeds. You are allowed to use purchased or personally collected material. Seeds are sown in the fall immediately after harvesting or first stratified for about two months, and then planted at home.
By cuttings. Several flexible shoots are cut from an adult healthy plant and rooted in water or in a nutrient substrate. It is recommended to keep the seedlings in a temporary plot for the first couple of years.
Vaccination. When propagating rare valuable varieties, young shoots of the apple tree are fixed to the rootstock. The procedure is carried out in early spring before the start of active growing season.

Most often, grafting or seed methods are used to propagate the crop. Ornamental apple tree cuttings take root poorly; the survival rate is only about 15%.

How to form a decorative apple tree

Decorative pruning of an apple tree is carried out in late autumn or early spring. The plant must be at rest, otherwise the procedure will harm it. When performing pruning, adhere to the following rules:

In the second year of life, the central conductor of the plant is trimmed and the side shoots directed downwards are completely removed.
The next season, shorten the main branch by 10 cm.
Cut side shoots to about 20 cm.
In the fourth year, the crown is thinned out and all weak and twisted branches are removed.
In the fifth season, the top of the ornamental crop is trimmed to slow down vertical growth.

An adult tree mainly needs sanitary pruning aimed at removing broken, dry and diseased branches.When decoratively pruning a red-leaved apple tree, it is recommended to pinch out young shoots to maintain the neat outline of the crown.

When growing ornamental apple trees, it is necessary to regularly remove shoots older than 3-4 years

Pest Control

The ornamental apple tree is resistant to fungal diseases, but is often affected by pests. The danger for her is:

leaf roller - the insect settles on the leaves along the central vein or next to the ovary;
The leaf roller is active in late May and early summer
codling moth - the pest eats away ripening apples from the inside and reduces their decorative value;
The codling moth is most dangerous in the southern regions
spider mite - the insect has a red or brown body, feeds on the leaves of the crop and causes them to fall off;
Spider mites appear en masse on apple trees from late spring to mid-summer
leaf gall midge - the pest eats young plates, they quickly become deformed and dry out.
Gall midge causes maximum damage to apple trees in late June and July

To prevent insect damage to the crop, it is necessary to regularly inspect shoots and leaves throughout the growing season. If the apple tree is slightly damaged, the tree can be sprayed with homemade products - soap solution, garlic or onion broth. If there are a lot of pests, it is better to resort to acaricides - Neoron, Sunmite, Arrivo and the like. Treatments are carried out according to instructions at least three times per season.

What to plant next to an ornamental apple tree

In landscape design, red ornamental apple trees and green-leaved varieties are often combined with other crops. The best neighbors for the plant are:

berry bushes - raspberries and blackberries;
peonies and irises;
strawberries, cherry blossoms and daisies;
lemongrass, damson and virgin grapes;
hops and Japanese quince.

You can combine a decorative apple tree with fieldfare and barberry - the crops look especially impressive next to red-leaved varieties. A successful element of a group composition will be lilac.

Photos of decorative apple trees in garden landscape design

Decorative varieties of apple trees with red flowers are widely used in landscape design. Most often the culture is used to form small alleys in the garden. Medium-sized trees look good when planted along paths or at the entrance to a site.

A decorative apple tree creates a pleasant diffused shade in the garden on hot days

Low varieties are often planted near fences and house facades next to conifers and flowering perennials. An apple tree helps decorate an empty space and at the same time is reliably protected from strong winds and cold drafts.

The apple tree should not be planted close to the facade, but with a distance of 2-3 m

A low decorative tree looks beautiful next to artificial ponds. The culture is used to create Japanese gardens. The neat composition remains attractive, including in the cold season - snow forms thick caps on spreading or drooping apple tree branches.

When planting an ornamental apple tree near water, you need to ensure that the soil does not become waterlogged.

Conclusion

The ornamental apple tree is an interesting variety of crop with attractive leaves and buds. The fruits of the plant are very abundant, brightly decorating the shoots throughout most of the summer. But they usually have no nutritional value.