Apple Seeds - Prairie Crabapple
(Malus ioensis) Perennial. Deciduous. Zones 2 - 6.
The gorgeous Prairie Crab Apple will treat you to year-round delights!
The display begins with prolific, pink buds that open to fragrant pink to white flowers in Spring; then comes purple-maroon foliage, maturing to a reddish-green; Fall brings a burst of red, orange, and purple, along with glossy fruit; In Winter, some of the small, yellow-green fruit cling to bare branches, beckoning birds to adorn them.
The Prairie Crab Apple attracts birds and wildlife year-round. Its branches form low, spreading dense thickets, inviting mammals to hide out and feast on juicy insects. Its branches also make a good nesting habitat for songbirds like Orioles and Song Sparrows. Birds like the Ruffed Grouse, Purple Finch, and White-throated Sparrow eat the buds, and Woodpeckers, Starlings, and Grackles peck at the fruit.
The fruit is waxy on the outside and fleshy, firm, and white on the inside. The fruit are sour eaten straight off the tree, but make delicious tart yet sweet jelly, cider, and vinegar.
Prairie Crab Apple is one of the most beautiful, disease and drought resistant crabapple varieties out there! Its a large shrub (or small tree) about 10-25 feet tall with a short trunk and a broad spreading crown. It grows best in full sun and really likes o be fed rich compost.
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Cold Hardiness: Zones 2 - 6
Edible: Yes
Size: Small Tree
Growth Rate: Medium
Nitrogen Fixer: No
Native Plant: Yes
Germination: 85 - 95%
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Soil Preference: Fertile & well draining.
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GROWING INSTRUCTIONS
For hardier seedlings, sow seeds outdoors in Fall. If sowing indoors…
SEED PRETREATMENT: Soak seeds in water for 24 hours. Mix seeds with a moistened grow medium equal to 3-4 times seed volume. Place in a plastic bag, covered tray/cells or container.
STRATIFICATION: 90 days cold/moist (5°C). Place plastic bag with seeds and soil in your refrigerator, preferably in a veggie crisper. Inspect periodically for even moisture and germination.
POST-STRATIFICATION: Sow stratified seeds 1/4”, ideally in a peat/perlite mix. Alternating soil temperatures during the day (25°C) and night (18°C) aids germination. Water evenly and regularly.
GERMINATION: When all previously mentioned requirements are fulfilled, germination generally occurs in 15-45 days.
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Available direct from Incredible Seeds, a Canadian Heirloom and Heritage Seed Company, offering only the best natural, non-GMO, open pollinated and untreated seeds, located in Mi'kma'ki / Nova Scotia.
