What was a crabbe?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

March 28, 2003

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Crabapples refer to those apple species producing fruit which are small and tart. Today, the trees are cultivated for their spring flowering, the size of the fruit has been 'bred-down' since most gardeners do not want to deal with small rotting
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Prairie Fire Crabapple Zones: 4 - 9 (-20° F.)
Rounded 15-20 ft. crabapple tree presents an all-season extravaganza! First, prolific, intense pinkish-red blooms. Next comes new purple-maroon foliage, which matures to reddish green. Fall brings a display of red, orange and purple—accompanied by glossy red fruit. Fruit will persist into late fall, even winter, and provides valuable food for birds in colder months. This Item Ships In The Spring Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com! More Trees

apples in late summer.

Most flowering crabs are descendents (hybrids) of the Siberian crab (Malus baccata (L.) Borkhausen), the Japanese showy crab (M. floribunda Siebold ex Van Houtte), the American sweet (M. coronaria (L.) Miller), the prairie (M. ioensis (A.Wood) Britton, and others--all tossed together with genetics from the original European crab (Malus sylvestris Miller).

According to the 1889 Century Unabridged Dictionary, crabapple is leftover slang dating to Middle English (12th to 15th centuries), crabbe appulle, which came from Swedish, krabbäple. A crab is a 'defensive' crustacean and came to refer to any sour-tempered, peevish, morose person. This is possibly the longest running slang term in English. Crabapple then, was an allusion to the fruit's sour taste.

Newt Wood (2001) of the Northeastern Woodworkers Association writes that "Applewood is pinkish-tan to cinnamon brown, usually figured with narrow-to-wide bands of various shades of brown in an attractive figure. The wood is tough and hard with a fine, close grain....specific gravity of 0.77...48 pounds per cubic foot" when dried. (http://www.woodworker.org)

Crabapples seldom get large enough for lumber, those that do bring an extraordinary price and are sold by board-foot. Crabapple branches have short, heavy spurs which bear flowers and fruit. The tough, heavy branches dried, stripped of bark, sanded, and polished made gentlemen's walking sticks. A more natural stick had a few spurs sanded down to nubs. The gentlemen's crabbe (or crab) was not simply a fashionable stick when out for an evening stroll; the crabbe could give a very good thumping to any would-be robber.

Steve Ostermiller has posted a photograph of white crabapples in bloom and has general information about the trees. To view his page, click on the link:

http://ostermiller.org/tree/crabapple.html

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

Unique Professionally Designed Gardens

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Hewes Crabapple Tree

Henry Fields Seed and Nursery®

Virginia crab!

One of Thomas Jefferson's favorites!

Tree is incredibly productive, vigorous and disease tolerant. Fruit is large and ripens early in September.

Zone 3 to 7

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Whitney Crabapple Tree

Henry Fields Seed and Nursery®

Famous for its fruit size!

Firm, crisp, tangy-sweet, pinkish-red fruits by the bushels!

Ripens by early September.

Zone 3 to 7

This Item Ships In The Spring Click here - $20 off any order of $50 or more at Henry Fields Seed and Nursery Co!

Fruit Trees - $20 off any order of $50 or more at Henry Fields Seed and Nursery Co!

4-in-1 Apple Tree

Gurney's Seed and Nursery®

Four Different Apples

Four different apple varieties all on the same tree--the 4-in-1 Apple Tree! The varieties pollinate each other for top crops, then ripen at different times to extend the harvest. Best of all, you only have to care for one tree- ideal when space is limited.

Now you can grow delicious, full-size apples no matter how small your garden! Imagine picking 1/2 bushel or more apples from each of your Li’l-BIG trees just a few years after planting them in the ground! If you have limited space or simply want a little tree with big benefits,

Li'l-BIG is for you. Reaching 6 ft. tall at the most and producing half a bushel of fruit, Li'l-BIG are a snap to spray, prune and harvest compared to standard size trees.

Zones: 4 - 8 (-20° F.)

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Cleveland Ornamental Pear Flowering Tree

Gurney's Seed and Nursery®

Improved Bradford Type

Gorgeous from spring through fall! Brilliant snowy-white blooms are followed by shiny, dark green foliage during the summer. In fall, leaves turn a glossy mahogany-red--breathtaking! This improved selection has stronger limb crotches than the original Bradford, so it is less prone to ice damage.

Birds love the fruit! Grows to about 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide.

Zones: 4 - 8 (-20° F.)

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Weeping Cherry Flowering Tree

Gurney's Seed and Nursery®

Cascading Deep Pink Blooms

An impressive focal point for any yard with its glorious froth of deep rose-pink flowers to welcome springtime. Blossoms are followed by glossy dark green serrated leaves and shiny ebony fruit in late summer.

Grows 20-40 feet tall with a graceful weeping habit. Prefers full sun and well-drained soil.

Zones: 4 - 9 (-20° F.)

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Comments: A good flowering tree to be added to the landscape. Cascades of soft pink flowers smother branches in early spring. This Oriental beauty reaches a height of 20-40'. An exceptional beauty wheter planted for the blooms or the foliage. Outstanding all year long. N/A for shipment to CA, Idaho or Washington.

Trees & Windbreaks For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!