Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’
This tree profile is shared for educational purposes. Urban Forest Nursery does not currently grow this variety, but it remains part of ongoing discussions around urban tree selection.
UPDATE 2026: Being a very close dark leaved relative of the green leaved Golden Raindrops® cultivar, I felt this one would be a real winner. Unfortunately, we were struck with defoliation from a disease in our area so we had to stop growing and selling it. However, from these trees planted nearby, we did discover that if they were annually pruned back, they stayed well foliated and healthy. Apparently, new young growth is somehow resistant to the defoliation that we saw and can remain as a viable dark leaved tree if pruned annually.
OK, now my second favorite flowering crab tree is the Royal Raindrops®, the close relative of my first favorite Flowering crab tree, the Golden Raindrops®. Yes, if you look closely at the leaves, form, and fruit, you can see the resemblance. The early leaves are cutleaf just like the Golden Raindrops®, the fruit is very tiny, and the form is straight and predictable when grown with a straight leader. The significant difference is the dark burgundy color of the leaves and fruit, and of course, the incredibly spectacular dark pink flowers. Fall colors are red to golden yellow depending on the season. The fruit is so tiny it is insignificant. If you like dark colored trees, then you must have one of these.
They grow fast and are easy to transplant. They are clean and appear to be free of insect and disease problems in most of the PNW. The form is broad upright and will most likely form a large round crown of about 20′ in diameter. Buy them grown on a high standard so that you can walk and mow under them or plant them as street trees. I am surprised that flowering crabs like the Royal Raindrops® and its relative, the Golden Raindrops®, are not more popular with their year round showy and disease-free characteristics.
Let me know your thoughts on this variety!
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Jim Barborinas
Owner of Urban Forest Nursery, Inc.
ISA Certified Arborist #0135
ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist #356
15119 McLean Rd.
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
jim@urbanforestnursery.com
What should I know about Royal Raindrops® Flowering Crab (Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’)?
Here are some common questions we hear from people considering this tree:
Although this variety showed a lot of promise, we experienced consistent defoliation issues in our region that made it unreliable in production. We found that regular pruning could help maintain healthy foliage, but overall it required more management than we prefer for our program.
This tree is known for its deep burgundy foliage, finely cut leaves, and vibrant pink spring flowers. It also produces very small fruit that is generally not noticeable. Its overall look is bold and colorful, especially for those wanting a darker-toned tree in the landscape.
It grows relatively quickly and establishes easily, developing a broad, upright form that can mature into a rounded canopy. In many cases it performs cleanly, but in our area it has shown sensitivity to disease unless actively managed with pruning to encourage fresh growth.
We recommend Golden Raindrops® Flowering Crabapple as a more reliable option. It shares a similar form and fine-textured foliage but has proven to be more consistent and better suited to our growing conditions.