Malus micromalus - Dwarf Crab Apple

Malus x micromalus is a well-known ornamental apple tree for bonsai enthusiasts. It is also known by the names Malus 'Kaido', M. spectabilis var. kaido, or Pyrus ringo var. kaido. With a modest stature, this small tree has a strong personality. It forms a true ball of flowers in spring, then it is covered with small golden apples, while the foliage has already taken on autumn colours. The plant is interesting from early spring to early winter. This old variety is hardy and easy to grow in ordinary soil, it undoubtedly deserves to be rediscovered.

Ornamental apple trees come from various botanical species of the genus Malus belonging to the rose family. Hardy and adaptable, Flowering Crabapples tolerate ordinary soil, but prefer loamy, deep, loose, and moist soil, as well as sunny exposures. Once established, they can be left to themselves while maintaining their generous character. Malus x micromalus is a hybrid of uncertain origin, possibly between M. baccata and M. spectabilis. This plant has been widely cultivated in China for a long time where it continues to be used as a rootstock. It was introduced to Japan, probably in the Middle Ages, and to Korea. Its introduction to Europe from Japan, around 1845, was the work of Philipp von Siebold, who named it M. spectabilis var. kaido in 1856.

This dwarf apple tree with a very short trunk initially develops rather upright branches, and it is only with time that its crown widens and spreads, adopting the typical shape of apple trees. Its growth is quite slow. Ultimately, it measures between 2.50 m and 3 m in height with a spread of 2.25 m at the age of 15. It maintains a harmonious shape without the need for pruning and develops flexible wood covered with a smooth brown bark that darkens and flakes with age. The particularly abundant flowering takes place in April-May, earlier or later depending on the region. It takes the form of deep pink buds that open into semi-double, 3 cm diameter flowers which quickly become white. The flowers and buds create a delightful contrast of colour on the branches. These flowers, gathered in small clusters, bloom before the young leaves. Flowering is followed by the formation of numerous tiny apples resembling cherries. When ripe in October-November, they are yellow, washed with bronze. These fruits are loved by birds and can remain on the bush for half of the winter, until December. The deciduous foliage, composed of leaves divided into 3 lobes, is particularly elegant. It starts green and turns purple, orange, and orangish-yellow before falling quite late.

Malus x micromalus, like many flowering apple trees, is a good pollinator for early-flowering fruit trees. This small tree has more presence than a flowering cherry tree, and its modest dimensions are perfect for small spaces. Its abundant flowering may be less long-lasting than that of the latter, but this detail is compensated by the beauty of the foliage in autumn, the beautiful fruits, and the elegance of its habit. It can be planted as a specimen tree or prominently in a mixed hedge. To accompany it, choose, for example, large English bush roses or climbing roses trained as shrubs, hawthorns, lilacs, or saskatoon juneberries. When space allows, ornamental apple trees, planted in a large hedge on a slope bordering a sunken path, create a rather magical scene not only in spring but also in autumn, due to their sumptuous colours at the end of the season.