Fact Sheet ST-393October 1994

Malus x ‘Harvest Gold’

Figure 1. Middle-aged ‘Harvest Gold’ Crabapple.

‘Harvest Gold’ Crabapple 1

Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2

INTRODUCTION

‘Harvest Gold’ Crabapple is grown for its showywhite flowers and attractive, brightly-colored yellowfruit (Fig. 1). The tree grows to only 20 to 25-foot-tallwith an upright, oval crown form making this cultivarwell suited as an ornamental street tree. Since the treebranches low to the ground, lower branches need to beremoved as the tree grows larger to allow forpedestrian and vehicular clearance along a street orwalkway. As with many of the Crabapples, specifytree form plants if using it as a street tree.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Scientific name: Malus x ‘Harvest Gold’Pronunciation: MAY-lusCommon name(s): ‘Harvest Gold’ CrabappleFamily: RosaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: 4 through 8A (Fig. 2)Origin: not native to North AmericaUses: Bonsai; espalier; large parking lot islands (>200 square feet in size); wide tree lawns (>6 feetwide); medium-sized parking lot islands (100-200square feet in size); medium-sized tree lawns (4-6 feetwide); recommended for buffer strips around parkinglots or for median strip plantings in the highway; neara deck or patio; small parking lot islands (< 100square feet in size); narrow tree lawns (3-4 feet wide);specimen; sidewalk cutout (tree pit); residential streettree; tree has been successfully grown in urban areaswhere air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil,and/or drought are commonAvailability: somewhat available, may have to go outof the region to find the tree

DESCRIPTION

Height: 20 to 25 feetSpread: 15 to 25 feetCrown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with aregular (or smooth) outline, and individuals have moreor less identical crown formsCrown shape: oval; uprightCrown density: moderateGrowth rate: medium

1. This document is adapted from Fact Sheet ST-393, a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service,Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: October 1994.

2. Edward F. Gilman, associate professor, Environmental Horticulture Department; Dennis G. Watson, associate professor, Agricultural EngineeringDepartment, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611.

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Texture: medium

Figure 2. Shaded area represents potential planting range.

Foliage

Leaf arrangement: alternate (Fig. 3)Leaf type: simpleLeaf margin: crenate; serrate; serrulateLeaf shape: elliptic (oval)Leaf venation: banchidodrome; pinnateLeaf type and persistence: deciduousLeaf blade length: 2 to 4 inches; less than 2 inchesLeaf color: greenFall color: yellowFall characteristic: not showy

Flower

Flower color: whiteFlower characteristics: spring flowering; veryshowy

Fruit

Fruit shape: roundFruit length: .5 to 1 inchFruit covering: fleshyFruit color: yellowFruit characteristics: attracts birds; no significantlitter problem; persistent on the tree; showy

Trunk and Branches

Trunk/bark/branches: droop as the tree grows, andwill require pruning for vehicular or pedestrianclearance beneath the canopy; routinely grown with, ortrainable to be grown with, multiple trunks; notparticularly showy; tree wants to grow with severaltrunks but can be trained to grow with a single trunk;no thornsPruning requirement: needs little pruning to developa strong structureBreakage: resistantCurrent year twig color: brown; reddishCurrent year twig thickness: medium; thin

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Culture

Figure 3. Foliage of ‘Harvest Gold’ Crabapple.

Light requirement: tree grows in full sunSoil tolerances: clay; loam; sand; acidic;occasionally wet; alkaline; well-drainedDrought tolerance: moderateAerosol salt tolerance: moderateSoil salt tolerance: moderate

Other

Roots: surface roots are usually not a problemWinter interest: tree has winter interest due tounusual form, nice persistent fruits, showy wintertrunk, or winter flowersOutstanding tree: tree has outstanding ornamentalfeatures and could be planted moreInvasive potential: little, if any, potential at this timeVerticillium wilt susceptibility: not known to besusceptiblePest resistance: long-term health usually notaffected by pests

USE AND MANAGEMENT

Plants are used for specimens, patios, and alongstreets to create a warm glow of color each spring.They are attractive during the summer, bearing glossygreen foliage. Popular around overhead powerlinesdue to their small stature, a row of Crabapples alongeach side of the street or median strip can "make" aneighborhood. Select plants which have been graftedonto EMLA 106 or 111 rootstock to reduce rootsuckering.

Crabapple is well-adapted to compacted urban soil,tolerates drought and poor drainage well and issomewhat tolerant of salt-spray. Well adapted to allareas within its hardiness zone range, including Texasand Oklahoma. A very adaptable tree. Do notoverfertilize since this could increase the incidence ofdisease. Disease resistance is good to excellent on thiscultivar but scab can infect and spoil the fruit display.

Crabapples are best grown in a sunny location withgood air circulation and have no particular soilpreferences, except soil should be well drained. Root-pruned trees transplant most easily.

According to the Ornamental Crabapple Society,Crabapples well adapted for street tree and urban useinclude ‘Adams’, ‘Bob White’, ‘David’, ‘DonaldWyman’, ‘Profusion’, ‘Red Splendor’ andMalusfloribunda. Be sure to specify tree form plants forstreet tree use since branching may be too low on treesgrown for specimen use. Crabapples grow well in theTexas panhandle but are not extremely droughttolerant and are not well suited for high pH soil.Contact the Ornamental Crabapple Society, MortonArboretum, Lisle, Illinois 60532 for more informationon Crabapples.

Other white flowered cultivars include: ‘BaccataColumnaris’ - narrow crown, white flowers, red oryellow fruit; ‘Baccata Gracilis’ - slow-growing,shrub-like, white flowers, fruit small and dark red,annual bearer; ‘Baccata Jackii’ - upright form, whiteflowers, bright red fruit, annual bearer, also good toexcellent disease resistance; ‘Callaway’ - pink buds,white flowers, red fruit; ‘David’ - pink buds open towhite flowers, scarlet fruit, good to excellent diseaseresistance; ‘Dolgo’ - pink buds, white flowers, largered fruits; ‘Donald Wyman’ - disease-resistant butsusceptible to fire blight, glossy red showy fruit;‘Ellwangeriana’ red fruit, disease-resistant;‘Floribunda’ - pink to red bud opens to single whiteflower, yellow or red fruitcommonly available;‘Gloriosa’ - pink bud opens to white flower, red, largefruit; ‘Golden Hornet’ - upright arching habit, whiteflower, yellow fruit; ‘Gorgeous’ - pink bud opens tolarge, white flower, red to orange fruit; ‘Katherine’ -double flowers opening pink, fading to white, fruityellow and red; ‘Mary Potter’ - pink buds open tosingle white flowers, red and fairly large fruit,susceptible to scab and powdery mildew; ‘Red Jade’ -weeping habit, white flowers, red fruit persisting afterleaves drop; ‘Sargenti’ - dwarf, pink bud opens towhite flowers, small dark red fruit; ‘Snowdrift’ - whiteflowers, orange red fruit; ‘Tanner’ - white flowers, redfruits, susceptible to diseases; ‘Tschonoski’ - whiteflowers, vigorous growth, good bronze red fall color,fruit brownish; ‘White Angel’ - white flowers, glossyred fruit persisting into winter; ‘White Candle’ - pinkbuds open to white flowers, red fruit, upright growthhabit; ‘Zumi Calocarpa’ - white flowers, bright redpersistent fruit.

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One of the best Crabapples for the south isMalusx Callaway.

Disease-resistant cultivars include: ‘David’,‘Dolga’, ‘Donald Wyman’, ‘Ellwangeriana’, ‘Inglis’,‘Jackii’, ‘Jewelberry’, ‘Margaret’, ‘Mary Potter’‘Mount Arbor Special’, ‘Prairifire’, ‘ProfessorSprenger’, ‘Tomiko’.

Pests

Aphids infest branch tips and suck plant juices,and are quite common. They can deform newlyemerging foliage and secret honey dew creating asticky mess beneath the tree, but will not kill the tree.

Fall webworm makes nests on the branches andfeeds on foliage inside the nest. Small nests can bepruned out or sprayed withBacillus thuringiensis.Controlling severe infestations may require otherchemicals.

Scales of various types are controlled withhorticultural oil.

Borers can be a problem on stressed trees.

Mites are too small to see easily so they can causemuch foliage discoloration before being detected.Mites can be controlled to a degree with horticulturaloil, but other chemicals are often required by the timemites are detected. The mite infestation can also besevere by the time foliage chlorosis or bronzing isevident.

Eastern tent caterpillar builds tents or nests in treesin early summer or late spring. Feeding occurs onfoliage outside the nest. Defoliation can be extensiveif infestation is severe, and repeated defoliations forseveral years can weaken trees. Small nests can beremoved by pruning them from the tree. Spray withBacillus thuringiensisor other approved chemical. Donot burn nests while they are still in the tree.

Diseases

Disease resistance is good to excellent on thiscultivar.

Scab infection takes place early in the season anddark olive green spots appear on the leaves. In latesummer the infected leaves fall off when they turnyellow. Infected fruits have black, slightly raised

spots. Use resistant varieties such as this cultivar tohelp avoid this severe problem.

Fire blight susceptible trees have blighted branchtips, particularly when the tree is growing rapidly.Leaves on infected branch tips turn brown or black,droop, and hang on the branches. The leaves lookscorched as by a fire. The trunk and main branchesbecome infected when the bacteria are washed downthe branches. Cankers form and are separated fromadjacent healthy bark by a crack. The infected barkmay be shredded. Use resistant cultivars whenavailable since severe infections on susceptible treescan kill the tree.

Powdery mildew coats leaves with white fungalgrowth resembling powder.

Cedar apple rust causes brown to rusty-orangespots on the leaves. Badly spotted leaves fallprematurely. Redcedars (Juniperus virginiana) are thealternate host.

Crabapples are subject to several canker diseases.Prune out infected branches, avoid unnecessarywounding, and keep trees healthy.