Donald Wyman Crabapple

Crabapple trees make a wonderful, ornamental accent, and the Donald Wyman Crabapple (Malus 'Donald Wyman') is highly regarded as an excellent variety. From its beautiful spreading form to the ornamental flowers, fruit and fall color, and resistance to disease—Donald Wyman is a top choice for the home garden.

The tree was a chance seedling discovered at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. The head horticulturist Donald Wyman saw the potential of its spectacular shape and wide canopy. Please rest assured, when an expert plantsman puts his name on a variety, you know it is a marvelous choice.

Donald Wyman Crabapples develop a formal, rounded canopy, which delivers a very sophisticated touch in your landscape. This is a tree that can be used in high-end garden design applications as a wonderful specimen or accent in a Secret Garden room.

The spread can be as much as three times the height, giving it a noteworthy appeal. This is especially noticeable in the springtime, when the flowers treat you to a glorious color show.

Flower buds begin to swell in a crimson shade of red that turns a light pink before opening to reveal pure white petals. When in full bloom, Donald Wyman Crabapple puts on a fairy tale profusion of fragrant white flowers. It is an incredible sight you’ll enjoy year after year.

In summer, Donald Wyman Crabapple features medium green foliage. While not a large tree, it will cast plenty of shade where you could place a set of Adirondack chairs. Or, gift your family a hammock stand or hammock chairs and enjoy the ultimate “staycation” all season long.

The summer green leaves turn an amber gold color in the fall. Watch as small crabapples develop and gradually mature into a bright red to decorate your tree in fall. Local songbirds will start to eat the bounty at that time, or you can harvest some for a special batch of homemade Crabapple Jelly.

Any brilliant red fruit that persists on the bare branches after leaf drop becomes living, natural Christmas decorations. You’ll love the ornamental appeal displayed in your winter landscape.

The rest of the berries are appreciated by migrating songbirds in late winter, as they are searching for a nourishing food source. Feel good about making this garden choice to help birds.

You’ll be thrilled with the high quality plants from our expert growers. We love the Donald Wyman, and so will you. Order for your yard this year!

How to Use Donald Wyman Crabapple in the Landscape

This lovely tree can be used as a specimen tree in the front yard. It becomes a wonderful accent tree for your patio planting. Add them to the sunny side of windbreaks and shelterbelts to boost interest and support the needs of pollinators.

Or, use several trees planted along the length of your fence as a large, flowering background. They can be placed 10 - 12 feet apart on center to create a continuous screen. Measure from the center of one to the center of the next.

Create a special grove of Donald Wyman trees by planting in a loose triangle. Try varying the width from 15 - 20 feet apart for an informal grouping.

We really love the idea of creating a “Crabapple Walk” on larger properties. It’s easy to start a special collection with help from the huge inventory of trees at Nature Hills.

Plant a few on the far side of a pond, so you can see the reflection in the water. There is nothing prettier in springtime.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Plant in full sun and well-drained soil for best flowering results. Donald Wyman Crabapple is adapted to a wide range of different soil types, but the ground must shed water well. If you need to improve the drainage, consider building a berm with additional soil brought in. Sculpt one or two off-center high points for the most natural look.

You can also plant in formal raised beds. Consider edging the bed with local quarried stone.

Give your trees a moderate amount of water on a regular basis. Mulch trees to 3 to 4 inches deep and spread out 3 feet from the outside of the canopy. This will keep roots cool and cut down on evaporation.

Air circulation is an important consideration for healthy plants. Don’t plant in a tightly enclosed area, as the plants need sun and wind to perform their best.

Donald Wyman Crabapple does show good disease resistance. Once established, it also becomes tolerant of air pollution. For coastal plantings it is somewhat tolerant of salt spray.

This is a very easy tree to grow. It requires only minimal pruning in the early years to keep the tree growing with a balanced canopy. Avoid spring pruning to cut down the possibility of fireblight infection. The best time to prune is fall to late winter, and it's good practice to sanitize your pruning shears and loppers between cuts.

No tree creates a greater intrigue or visual impact during all four seasons than the flowering Crabapple! Order yours today.