Crabapple - Callaway

This tree is a smart and beautiful choice for any sunny garden.

• A Cloud of Spring Flowers: In the spring, the Callaway puts on a spectacular display. The branches are covered in lovely pink buds that open into a cloud of large, fragrant, pure white blossoms. It’s a breathtaking sight and a true signal that winter is over.
• Excellent Disease Resistance: This is its superpower. The Callaway has proven, superior resistance to the most common crabapple diseases, including scab, fire blight, cedar-apple rust, and powdery mildew. This means your tree will keep its beautiful, clean green leaves all season long, long after other crabapples might look worn out.
• Delicious, Usable Fruit: Unlike many ornamental crabapples with tiny, bitter fruit, the Callaway produces large, cherry-sized, bright red crabapples. They are crisp, tart, and make a truly excellent, beautiful pink jelly.

A Perfect Size for Any Yard: This is not a massive tree. The Callaway grows to a modest, rounded size that fits perfectly into the average suburban yard without overwhelming the space.

The Callaway Crabapple is easy to grow, especially when you give it the sunny home it loves.

• Hardiness Zones: This tough tree is well-suited for a wide range of climates, thriving in USDA Zones 4-8.
• Sunlight: To get the best flowers and the biggest crop of fruit, you must plant your Callaway Crabapple in full sun. A spot that gets six or more hours of direct sunlight is essential.
• Soil: It is adaptable to a variety of soil types but will perform best in a moist, well-drained, slightly acidic loam. The most important thing is good drainage. It does not like to have its roots sitting in soggy, waterlogged soil.
• Can it grow in a container? Not for the long term. As a small-to-medium sized tree, it needs to be planted in the ground where its root system can fully develop and support a healthy fruit crop.

Because of its disease resistance, the Callaway is one of the easiest crabapples to care for.

• Watering: Water your new tree regularly and deeply for the first year or two to help it establish a strong root system. Once mature, it is fairly drought-tolerant but will produce the best fruit if watered during very long, hot, and dry spells.
• Pruning: The Callaway has a lovely natural shape and requires minimal pruning. The best time to prune is in late winter or very early spring while the tree is still dormant. Focus on removing any dead, damaged, or crossing branches to maintain good air circulation.
• Feeding: In most average garden soils, your crabapple won't need much fertilizer. If you wish, a light feeding in the spring with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer is plenty.
• Pollination: The Callaway Crabapple is self-fertile, so you only need one tree to get a good crop of fruit. However, like most apple relatives, it will produce an even larger crop if there is another crabapple or apple tree planted nearby.

The flowers emerge in mid-spring, starting as deep pink buds and opening to 1.5-inch wide, fragrant white blossoms that are a favorite of bees. The fruit follows, ripening in the fall to a glossy, fire-engine red. The crabapples are about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter, with a firm, crisp texture. Eaten fresh, they are quite tart, but they have a classic, tangy apple flavor that sweetens and mellows when cooked. They are perfect for making a clear, beautifully colored jelly.

The Callaway grows at a moderate pace, rewarding you with beauty and fruit without a long wait.

• Years 1-3: The young tree will focus on establishing its roots, with steady growth. It may even produce a few flowers in its second or third year.
• Years 4-6: Growth will continue at a steady pace. Flowering will become much more prolific, and you can expect your first real harvests of fruit for making jelly.
• At Maturity: The Callaway Crabapple will reach a mature size of about 15 to 25 feet tall and wide, forming a beautiful, dense, rounded canopy.

As mentioned, the Callaway's claim to fame is its health. Its excellent, built-in disease resistance means you can avoid the spraying routines often needed for other apple and crabapple trees. Planting it in a sunny spot with good air circulation is the best way to ensure it stays healthy and productive for its entire life.

For the family that wants a beautiful tree that does more than just look pretty, the Callaway Crabapple is a perfect choice. It’s a source of spring beauty, summer shade, and fall color. Best of all, it offers a fun, family activity in the autumn. Imagine gathering the bright red fruit and making a batch of sparkling, homemade crabapple jelly together. For any gardener who has ever wanted a crabapple but feared the fuss, this is the tough, tasty, and trouble-free tree you’ve been waiting for.