DescriptionPlanting InstructionsAfter CareDelivery & Guarantee
Malus coronaria Charlottae Crabapple Trees - Large Standards - Delivered by Mail Order from the Nursery with a 1 Year Guarantee
Malus coronaria Charlottae crabapple trees are also known as the Garland or Sweet crabapple. It is unique in that its flowers and fruit smell distinctly, though not overpoweringly, of violets. This scent gives the tree its common name of Sweet Crabapple: the uncooked fruit themselves are as hard and sour tasting as any other.
Malus coronaria Charlottae trees can reach a height of about 7-9 metres.
Standard trees are the largest size that we deliver; you can also buy wild crabapple saplings here.
Browse all of our other varieties of ornamental Crabapple trees & hedging plants for sale here.
How Standard Trees are Measured:
All the plants in the ornamental trees section are graded as standards, which means that they are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level (basically, their trunk's waist measurement). They aren't measured by their height, which will vary. So, a 6/8 standard has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8 centimetres and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10 centimetres around.
This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height.
Standard trees are 2 - 3.5 metres tall (on average) when they arrive; they are the most mature trees that you can buy from us. We cannot tell you precisely how tall your standard trees will be before we deliver them.
You can also buy Malus coronaria Charlottae as 200-250cms tall saplings: these
are a little too small to be graded as standards and are the cheapest way to buy these trees.
General description of Malus coronaria Charlottae trees:
Charlottae's flowers appear in late May and are plentiful, large and pink. The leaves have a sumptuous autumn colour, with fiery reds and oranges; one of the most outstanding displays of any crab apple.
The green fruit ripen from October and tend to fall easily from the branches, which is handy as they good to cook with. You can hang a net around the tree to make collecting them easier, but bruised fruit are still fine to use. However, Charlottae needs a hot summer to fruit well.
Like any crab apple, Malus coronaria Charlottae isn't very fussy about soil types and will do well in heavy clay, as long as it has adequate drainage. It will grow just fine in a shady spot but you will get fewer flowers and fruit.
Crabapple trees make effective pollinators for orchard apple trees.
History & uses of Malus coronaria Charlottae
This tree's parent comes from North America and was first brought to Britain in 1724. This particular variety was discovered by chance in 1902, in Illinois. The colourful wood is pink red in the middle, fading to yellow at the edges and it is quite soft and easy to carve into decorative objects.
Notes on planting Malus coronaria Charlottae:
Crabapples are tough plants that thrive in any moderately fertile soil. They tolerate partial shade and although a well drained site is ideal, they like heavy clay and don't mind a bit of waterlogging in winter.
They won't grow in full shade or very poor, dry soils.
Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the site where you plant a tree several months in advance. Kill the weeds first: for tough weeds like nettles, brambles and ground elder, you will usually need a glyphosate based weed-killer to get rid of them. When you dig the soil over, remove stones and other rubbish and mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades.
Watch our video on how to plant a tree for full instructions.
Remember to water establishing trees during dry weather for at least a year after planting.
Tree Planting accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Roundup weed killer.
You can buy a tree planting pack with a wooden stake & rubber tie to support the tree and a mulch mat with pegs to protect the soil around the base of your tree from weeds and drying out.
We suggest that you use mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of all newly planted large trees: if your soil quality is poor, we strongly recommend it.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.
After you plant a tree, the most important thing to do is water it in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Watering should be thorough, so the ground is soaked. Let the soil almost dry out before watering again. Watering & weeding will be necessary for at least a year after planting.
If your trees do need pruning, it is ideal to do this in winter. Always hire a tree surgeon to remove large branches.
Special notes on caring for Malus coronaria Charlottae trees:
Charlottae is an ornamental tree that will perform best when it receives a yearly mulch of well-rotted manure or compost to help keep the soil around it fertile.
Remember to check the stake and tie supporting your trees a few times a year. Tighten the tie if it becomes loose and loosen it as the tree grows. Make sure that the tree's trunk isn't rubbing against the stake.
Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Delivery: Any order with a standard sized tree in it has a basic delivery charge of £12.55 + vat.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.
Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.
Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.
Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted trees must be watered in dry weather while they are establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.
Our nursery has been supplying large ornamental trees to gardeners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying specimen trees online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.
Your 12 Month Guarantee
If any plants die within a year, we replace them if you have followed our instructions. You only pay for
the delivery of the replacements.
Place an order for £250 excluding VAT and delivery and we deliver it for FREE!
Bare-root Plants are only delivered in the winter season, from November to March. Pot grown plants can be delivered all year round
Advantages of Bare-root plants:
You pay less for the same size plants.
You can carry and plan them easily.
You only plant them in winter, so they need less maintenance after
planting. The rain will water them for their first few months.
You get the biggest selection: Many trees are not sold pot-grown.
They are "asleep" in winter - this is the best time to transplant any tree.
They use fewer fertilisers & fungicides, less water and fuel in their production & delivery.
Advantages of Pot Grown plants:
Pot grown plants can be delivered & planted all year round.
Plants with tender roots & larger specimens must be delivered in pots.
Plants in pots can be kept for months longer if there is a delay in planting.
Our Advice to You:
If you can't wait to get planting, order Pot grown plants now.
If you are not in a hurry, order bare-root plants for delivery this winter. Simply add them to your basket and choose a winter delivery date that suits you during checkout.
This will reserve your plants before they sell out.
We won't charge you until the day before delivery, so cancelling your order is always easy.
If you are only ordering chemicals and other small items, delivery is £3.50
Our delivery charge for most bareroot plants is £9.49 + VAT.
If your order contains any standard sized trees, fruit trees or pot-grown plants, then the delivery charge is £12.55 + VAT in TOTAL.
If you live in the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Wight, there will be an extra charge of £15 + VAT on top of the appropriate basic charge, as listed above.
If your order is over £250 exc. VAT, there will be no delivery charge.
If you are uncertain, just add items to your basket which will calculate the basic shipping charge for you.
