Malus Royal Beauty

Grown for its weeping form, year-round interest and richly coloured foliage, blossom and fruit, Malus Royal Beauty is a perfect specimen tree for the smallest garden. It’s a small, moderately slow-growing, deciduous tree with a weeping habit. The leaves emerge bronze-red, turning red-purple, then greenish-purple in summer, and acquire yellow and bronze tints in the autumn. Single, deep pink flowers, 5cm across, appear in May, very attractive to bees. In early autumn, these are followed by small, deep red, oval crab apples; although not edible, they attract birds and persist into winter. Weeping crab apple Royal Beauty holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Site: Tolerates exposure
Soil:  Any well-drained, reasonably fertile soil
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Season of interest: Spring and autumn in particular
Hardiness: Very hardy
Height: 8’ (2.5m)  Spread: 8’ (2.5m) in 10-20 years