Botanical Name: Malus ‘Prairifire’
Alternate Name: Prairifire Crabapple
The Prairie Fire Crabapple (Malus ‘Prairifire’) is an eye-catching, small, flowering deciduous tree. It provides bright spring blooms, great fall color, and a profusion of berries that cover the tree in fall and winter. This cultivar is prized for its disease resistance, which keeps the foliage looking healthy, and for its outstanding flower and berry displays.
Prairie Fire Crabapple is a moderately sized Crabapple tree, growing to a height and spread of 15-20 feet. It has a rounded, dense canopy and can grow as wide as it does tall. This tree makes a great patio or accent tree for small landscapes.
This crabapple develops deep pink, slightly fragrant flowers up to 1.5 inches in size. The flowers cover the tree in mid spring, putting on a showy display. In the fall, the blooms are followed by a mass of small ½ inch purple berries that cover the canopy and attract foraging birds.
The leaves ‘Prairie Fire’ tree emerge oval-shaped and tinged with purple. They mature to deep green as the growing season continues. The attractive leaf veins and petioles retain their purple color. In fall, the leaves turn a pretty bright orange.
The Malus ‘Prairifire’ Crabapple is a great tree to plant for wildlife. It attracts butterflies and provides both a habitat and food for birds. It has excellent disease resistance and is not particularly susceptible to any significant diseases or pests.
This tree adapts to a range of soil conditions. It can be tolerant of air pollution and drought conditions once established. It makes a good tree to plant along city streets and in small urban landscapes.
