Centurion® Crabapple
Centurion® Crabapple
Malus x 'Centzan'
Item #3057 USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 - 8
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Add to FavoritesPlant Description
Very cold hardy flower buds burst open in early spring to masses of rose-red blossoms that mature to cherry red fruit in fall. The disease resistant foliage emerges reddish green and matures to a bronze-green. Upright when young, branches spread out as it ages. Deciduous.
- OverviewLight Needs:Full sunWatering Needs:Water regularly - weekly, or more often in extreme heat.Average Landscape Size:
Moderate growing; reaches 25 ft. tall, 15 to 20 ft. wide.Key Feature:Improved Disease ResistanceBlooms:
Early SpringLandscape Uses:
- DetailBotanical Pronunciation:ro-ZAY-see-ee MAY-lusPlant type:TreeDeciduous/evergreen:DeciduousGrowth habit:RoundedGrowth rate:ModerateAverage landscape size:Moderate growing; reaches 25 ft. tall, 15 to 20 ft. wide.Special features:Bird Friendly, Edible, Improved Disease Resistance, Pollenizer, Showy FruitFoliage color:GreenBlooms:Early SpringFlower color:RedFlower attributesShowy FlowersGarden styleAsian/ZenDesign IdeasThis trees small stature make it perfect for the home landscape. Use it as a specimen or plant several as a backdrop to the formal garden in low lying, moist areas. Add color to mixed beds with this tree, but plant clear of structures and walkways. This tree will spread somewhat at maturity and drop fruit. Can be easily trained as a fruit bearing espalier.Companion PlantsLilac (Syringa); Arborvitae (Thuja); Barberry (Berberis); Weigela (Weigela); Dogwood (Cornus); Carpet Bugle (Ajuga)
- CareCare InformationProvide enriched, well-drained soil. Water deeply, regularly during first few growing seasons to establish root system; once established, reduce frequency. Feed before new spring growth appears. Thin heavy crops in early summer to prevent breakage or damage. Prune as needed to remove dead or damaged wood, or maintain smaller size.Pruning time: spring after flowering.Light Needs:Full sunWatering Needs:Water regularly - weekly, or more often in extreme heat.
- History & LoreHistory:Malus is native to the temperate zones in the Northern Hemisphere including North America, Europe and Asia. Crabapples, while used for their flowers, where highly susceptible to a variety of diseases. Bob Simpson of Simpson Nursery Company in Indiana began a breeding program to create disease resistant varieties. Centurion came from this venture and was introduced in 1978. While Crabapples are not typically a food crop, the juice is used in jellies and added to other Apple varieties in cider. Crabapples are great pollenizers for apple orchards due to their abundance of blooms. The wood is popular for smoking and they are quite frequently used in bonsai.
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