Director Moerland Crabapple Trees

• Variety: Director Moerland, a purple-leaved Crab Apple bred with clean, healthy foliage
• Latin name: Malus 'Directeur Moerlands', from the Malus × moerlandsii group. Also sold as 'Profusion Improved'
• Sold as: Bareroot standards, 6/8 and 8/10cm girth. Pot-grown in a 12 litre pot
• Mature size: About 7m tall
• Time to full size: 10 to 20 years
• Flowers: Single and wine-red, in mid to late spring
• Fruit: Small, round and dark red to purple, hanging on after leaf fall
• Leaves: Lobed like a Maple leaf. Reddish-purple when young, then dark reddish-green
• Position: Full sun
• Soil: Any moderately fertile soil, chalk and clay included
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Director Moerland is a vigorous Crab Apple with a rounded head: reddish-purple young leaves, wine-red flowers in mid to late spring and small, dark fruit that stays on the bare branches. It was bred to resist the canker and mildew that trouble other purple-leaved Crab Apples, and it is on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list.

Director Moerland Crabapple Trees

Malus moerlandsii crabapple trees are also known as Director Moerland. It's disease resistant crabapple tree and was bred to resist canker and mildew, which can be problems for some of the other red or purple leaved crabapples. It has proven to be a success on the disease front and is every bit as pretty as its relatives. The young leaves are a fantastic crimson-purple, deepening to a rich green as they develop. The wine pink flowers are abundant and create a lovely layered colour effect with the foliage: bees go mad for them too. It has a rich autumn display and when the leaves have all fallen, the small, purplish fruit'll continue to adorn the branches for several months. One of the best for a combination of foliage, flower, fruit and ease.

Malus moerlandsii can reach a height of about 7 metres.

Browse our variety of crab apple trees or see our full range of trees.

How Standard Trees are Measured:
All the plants in the ornamental trees section are graded as standards, which means that they're 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 to 3.5 metres tall (on average) when they arrive; they're the most mature trees that you can buy from us. We cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.

Planting Companions

Director Moerland belongs to the purple group of Crab Apples, with Profusion, Royalty and Liset: compare them before you choose, as one purple tree is usually enough in a garden. It sits among our trees for small gardens, and our guide to pruning a Crab Apple covers the little cutting it needs. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge for Crab Apple Trees?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Director Moerland Crab Apple comes bareroot, lifted while dormant, or pot-grown for planting in any month. Bareroot trees are guaranteed for 12 months, and so is a potted tree delivered leafless between November and March.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does Director Moerland grow?

It is vigorous, and grows to about 7 metres, with a roundish crown.

Is Director Moerland the same as Profusion?

Not quite. It is listed as Malus 'Directeur Moerlands', and 'Profusion Improved' is another name for the same plant. Profusion itself is a separate, older variety, which we also sell.

Is it good for bees?

Yes. It is on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, and the single flowers are open to insects.

What soil and position does it need?

Full sun and any moderately fertile soil. It grows in chalk, clay, loam and sand, acid or alkaline, as long as the ground drains.

Does it need pruning?

Very little. It is in pruning group 1: take out dead, damaged or crossing wood in winter and leave the rest.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot trees are delivered from November to April, while they are dormant. Pot-grown trees can be delivered and planted in any month when you find them in stock.