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Prairie Fire Crabapple Tree

Crabapple trees are hardy, have dependable and beautiful spring bloom, and autumn fruits that persist into winter. Their blooms nourish bees, and their fruits feed birds. They are a size that is integrated easily into most landscapes, with choices of flower and foliage color. Is it any wonder that these are desirable trees for your home landscape? “Prairiefire” is one of the best of them.

I have five of them in my yard at this time, having chosen the “Prairie Fire” variety to offset the one great fault of the crabapple tree: apple scab. This fungal problem won’t kill the trees, but causes them to lose their leaves prematurely. You can see why a scab resistant variety would be an important consideration.

guide on how to select a tree

Prairiefire has proven to be resistant to apple scab in all but the worst years, and in those puts up a good fight to retain its leaves and its beauty.

[the look]
The Prairie Fire variety has dusky purple-tinged foliage, in summer and small fruit of a maroon color, but it is the deep burgundy-red leaves and bright pink bloom of spring that is the glorious attraction of this tree. It grows to about 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide with a rounded upright form.

[the requirements]
All the crabapples are fairly undemanding trees, they like normal soil conditions and normal amounts of moisture compared with most trees. Hardy in zones 4-7. Growing well on clay soil, they appreciate the finer fare of loam, but don’t demand it, they do need decent drainage. Give it full sun. Air circulation would further restrain apple scab from developing, but I have lots of air circulation around all my trees, and it is more a matter of inbred resistance.
Use the usual method of planting the young trees.

[the companions]
Because of the purple foliage and pink bloom this tree can center in any plan that uses purple foliage. accompanied by moss phlox in shades of pink, pink and white tulips, Virginia bluebells, perhaps some “Morning Light” Miscanthus grasses in clumps nearby, this would be a gorgeous spring picture. If you prefer eye catching contrasts, use “Goldsturm” rudbeckia with its golden daisies later in the season which would be striking with the leaves and red fruits of the Crabapple.

For good reason, this tree was voted Iowa’s Tree of the Year in 1996. It will perform well for the Midwestern states.

Because it is one of my favorite trees, I have written other posts about it:

More at a glance on the “Prairie Fire” crabapple.

You can buy ‘Prairie Fire’ Crabapple trees from this vendor: