Crimson Cascade is a new weeping crab-apple, featuring long whippy branches which flow down almost to the ground.
The main spring attraction is the mass of dusky pink blossom. The blossom is a combination of single and semi-double flowers.
In summer the cascading branches and green-bronze leaves make the tree a useful focal point in the garden.
In autumn the tree displays small round dark red/purple fruitlets.
Order now for delivery from week commencing 4th November for pot grown trees or December for bare-root or mixed tree orders.
Weeping crab-apples usually remain fairly small, up to 2m or so but Crimson Cascade will eventually become a fairly large weeping tree, up to 3m or more in good conditions.
Crimson Cascade was raised by retired chemist Alan Warwick in Yorkshire, UK in the 1980s. At a time when almost all new plants are developed in huge university breeding programmes, Crimson Cascade was discovered the old-fashioned way - by planting a pip and watching it grow. In this case the pip was from a crab-apple called Malus x purpurea 'Aldenhamensis'. Crimson Cascade resembles Aldenhamensis in almost every respect except one - Aldenhamensis grows with a regular upright-spreading habit, whereas Crimson Cascade is strongly weeping. However, the branches of Aldenhamensis are quite long and whippy and it is not hard to see how a weeping form could have arisen from it.
Crimson Cascade was shortlisted for the Plant of the Year award at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2017.
We list more than 40 different crab-apple trees. Choosing can be difficult! See our article explaining the different characteristics of crab-apple trees which will help you narrow down the selection.
This variety description was researched and written by Orange Pippin staff. Last checked: 2022.