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Corny to say, but the Gorgeous crab apple lives up to its name and is as desirable as it suggests. A petite tree with delicately arching branches covered in prominent pink buds in early spring, it then becomes a mass of palest pink blossom with star-shaped scented, single flowers that fade to white as they age. The flowers are up to 3cm across and in full spate Gorgeous is devastatingly.... well.... gorgeous. All crab apples are self fertile, so this diminutive tree will then effortlessly convert that blossom into clusters of cherry-like, bright red crab apples that hang daintily into late winter unless your blackbirds spot them. At the same time, the leaves colour up well to provide a fantastic counterpoint to the pure pastel colours of spring.
Unquestionably one of the most beautiful of our crab apple trees.
Gorgeous in your garden
Gorgeous is grown on a semi-vigorous rootstock that will limit its height to between 3-4 metres, so it can be squeezed into even the smallest gardens. It makes a great focal point for a garden at the end of a path or on its own in a lawn during spring when in full flower, or in autumn when its colours and fruit are so striking. Given space, plant a group of them together in a circle as a sort of fairy ring and surround them with bulbs like Camassia leichtlinii or amazing frilly tulips like the Darwin Tulip Pink Impression. In autumn, you can then make bewitching jellies from the fruit. Gorgeous would make the perfect gift for anyone, but especially for those with smaller gardens.
Crab apples, unlike the domestic apple, all grow in a cluster, with many stalks emerging from a central point. This is why crab apples are so small and why the red ones bear such a strong resemblance to cherries, which grow in the same way. For gardeners, it means that you get a concentrated hit of flower and fruit colour in one place, which adds to their attraction. Crab apples belong to the Rosaceae family, along with roses.