Malus x purpurea 'Gulliver' APPLETINI

Crabapples – flowering ornamental apple trees often compete with Sakura trees (ornamental flowering cherries) for the primacy in terms of the beauty of spring flowering. They offer similar flower colous, profuse flowering, and something extra – the scent because crabapple flowers smell beautifully, each one has a slightly different perfume.

APPLETINI is a French crabapple variety which is not only ornamental, but it also makes edible fruit of a great taste. The fruit is not large but compared to the size of the fruits of other crabapple varieties these apples are giants – like a ping pong ball, which is probably why its breeders from Pepiniere Jean-Pierre Hennebelle, a nursery in northwestern France, gave it the name Gulliver for the domestic market.

From late April until early to mid May it makes large, pale pastel purple flowers. The deciduous leaves are obovate, finely serrated at margins, they emerge maroon and ripen to a dark green color, but retain red petioles. In autumn they change to orange and red. The fruits formed as early as in late June and ripen in late summer. They have a bright fuchsia color and a typically frosted skin, showing its glossy skin only when you touch them. This variety is self-fertile – it does not need a pollinating partner making it an ideal terrace or balcony plant.

APPLETINI forms upright, well-branched shrubs of a broadly funnel-shaped habit. Its ultimate height and width is estimated at about 3 meters, but plants can be rejuvenated once every few years by medium hard pruning, ideally immediately after flowering in late spring. Alternatively, you can train it into a multi-stemmed shrub with a mushroom-head crown after removing the side branches. This will allow more space for more flowers underneath. The plant is protected by European patent EU 20170480.

Apple and crabapple trees will grow in most soils but do best in well-drained but evenly moist, fertile soil. When planting it, make sure the root-ball is well soaked with water. Newly transplanted trees (with a trunk) need a good support for 2-3 years. Fully hardy to at least -29 °C (USDA zone 5) and suitable for large outdoor planters.

Last update 24-06-2022