Centurion® Crabapple

Malus x 'Centzan'

Sku #3057

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.

Light Needs

Full sun

Light Needs
Water Needs

Water regularly - weekly, or more often in extreme heat.
USDA Zone ?

There are very few rules in gardening, but perhaps the most important one is to work within your zone. Choosing plants that grow and thrive in your particular climate is the very first step toward having a beautiful garden. Learn More

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Detail

Key Feature

Improved Disease Resistance

Light Needs

Full sun

Landscape Uses

Espalier, Mass Planting, Privacy Screen, Specimen, Urban Garden, Wildlife Garden, Woodland Garden

Watering Needs:Water regularly - weekly, or more often in extreme heat.

Botanical Pronunciation:ro-ZAY-see-ee MAY-lus

Plant type:Tree

Deciduous/evergreen:Deciduous

Growth habit:Rounded

Growth rate:Moderate

Average landscape size:Moderate growing; reaches 25 ft. tall, 15 to 20 ft. wide.

Special features:Bird Friendly, Edible, Improved Disease Resistance, Pollenizer, Showy Fruit

Foliage color:Green

Blooms:Early Spring

Flower color:Red

Flower attributesShowy Flowers

Garden styleAsian/Zen

Design 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)

Care

Care Information

Provide 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.

History & Lore

History:

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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