Crabapple (MALUS STARLITE) - ‘Starlite'
Covered in glorious clusters of fragrant white flowers along its branches in mid-spring, 'Starlite' Flowering Crabapple has a significant presence in the landscape. Its blooms emerge from distinctive red flower buds before the dark green, glossy leaves fill in. With vibrant yellow fall color and showy red pomes carried in abundance from early to late fall and persist into winter, this is at least a three season interest tree!
Reaching 20 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide at maturity, 'Starlite' makes an excellent landscape accent and shade tree. Incredibly cold hardy to USDA Hardiness zone 2, this tree is also adaptable to a wide range of soils and pH. However, it requires full sunlight and should not be allowed to dry out; should be irrigated consistently to keep the soil conditions average to moist. Select a planting site with well-drained soil. Tolerant of urban pollution with a medium growth rate. Like most crabapples, occasional pruning and maintenance is required. Suckers should be removed in summer, but pruning should be done in late winter after the the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics. Its canopy is low - clearing the ground about 3 feet high - and it is a tree that could be planted near power lines.