Royal Raindrops Flowering Crab

Royal Raindrops Flowering Crab
Malus ‘Royal Raindrops’
OK, now my second favorite flowering crab tree is the Royal Raindrops, the close relative of my first favorite Flowering crab, 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!