Ornamental Crab Trees as Pollinators

6 years ago

Will the ornamental crab trees that you buy at Lowes pollinate apple trees. We had three different varieties of fruit trees, but one suddenly died. I had heard that an ornamental crab apple tree will help with pollinating the remaining two. Thoughts?

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

6 years ago

Technically, they will. But not all varieties will do so as successfully as others. In an orchard setting bees will tend to focus on a specific flower color. So visiting a bright pink flowered crabapple may be overlooked in favor of all those pale colored apple blossoms.

In a home garden with only a coupe of trees, I doubt that the flower coloring plays that big a role. In my garden bees skip from one plant to the next in bloom without seeming to have much regard about color.

And the bloom time needs to coincide but because of the crabs extended flowering period, that is usually not a big concern.

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Comments (8)

StephanieZone6binKY
Original Author
6 years ago
Sounds like it would be best if we just get another apple tree. Thanks for your help!
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sautesmom Sacramento
6 years ago
Actually not necessarily, some crabs are excellent pollenizers. Bloom time is way more important.

Many websites have apple pollination charts, here is one from Raintree

https://raintreenursery.com/plantcare/plant-care/pollination-charts/understanding-apple-pollination/
StephanieZone6binKY
Original Author
6 years ago
Great information. Thank you! So, am I mistaken and you only need two varieties of apple trees?
sah_upstate4 (zone 5b - NY)
6 years ago
This pollination chart from Adams County lists several crabapple varieties that are particularly good pollenizers at various stages of the bloom period. "Snowdrift" and "Indian Summer" are two that are mentioned that would probably be the most "ornamental": https://www.acnursery.com/apple_pollinizer.pdf
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years ago
" am I mistaken and you only need two varieties of apple trees? "

Again, technically that's true :-) But a few popular apple cultivars are unable to provide any pollination services (triploids with sterile pollen). Jonagold, Gravenstein and Winesap are included with these.
sautesmom Sacramento
6 years ago
Yes, only two apples can work, if you have the right two apples. It's best to find your current apple in one of the charts, and then choose from there, if you are new to this.
StephanieZone6binKY
Original Author
6 years ago
I'll have to look through my notes and see if I recorded the names. We are definitely new to apple trees. We planted them about 3 years ago, and one mysteriously just did not come through the winter for us. It was a very mild winter so not sure what happened there. I suppose it is possible I didn't water it as much as I should have. I heard a podcast the other day that makes me feel like I should be more careful with watering fruit trees for the first three years.