Lollipop® Crabapple Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on September 29, 2022

Planting instructions

Start the planting process for your Lollipop® crabapple tree by removing your plant from its container and roughing the outside of the root ball to loosen any tangled roots. Then, dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall and at least twice as wide. Place the tree in the hole so that the trunk is vertical and backfill with a mixture of soil and organic material, such as compost. The area where you perform this planting should receive plenty of daily sunlight and have soils that are moist but well-draining.

Watering and nutrients

After planting a Lollipop® crabapple tree, you should water it about once per week during the first growing season. Once your plant is established, you can reduce your watering schedule. Often, a mature Lollipop® crabapple tree will only need water during the hottest parts of summer. Otherwise, this plant typically survives on rainfall alone. While your Lollipop® crabapple tree can survive just fine without fertilizer, it can help to apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer once per year in early spring.

Pollination

When the Lollipop® crabapple tree blooms in spring, it will attract many pollinators, including honeybees and other insects. These insects will enjoy the nectar that the flowers provide and will move pollen from one flower to another, which facilitates pollination. Since the Lollipop® crabapple tree is a self-fertile tree, you only need one if you wish to produce fruits. While few people are interested in eating the fruits of a Lollipop® crabapple tree, many people enjoy the sight of these bright red crabapples as they hang from the tree late in the season.

Pruning

One major convenience of the Lollipop® crabapple tree is that this cultivar will develop a regular lollipop shape without the need for excessive pruning. During the spring months, it can be beneficial to perform some light pruning with the goal of removing any dead or damaged limbs while also making slight corrections to this plant’s general shape. However, even if you neglect to prune it entirely, this tree should remain healthy and look attractive all on its own.

Pests, diseases and animals

As is the case for many crabapple varieties, the Lollipop® crabapple tree can fall victim to both pest infestations and diseases. Regarding disease, some of the most common infections include apple scab, leaf spots and cedar apple rust. However, the last of those diseases is avoidable if you don’t plant this tree near a cedar plant. Infestations can also be a problem for the Lollipop® crabapple tree at times. The most common pests that will afflict this tree are Japanese beetles, scale insects and aphids.

Harvesting

Fruit harvest is not a common goal when growing a Lollipop® crabapple tree, but it is an option. Each year, upon successful pollination, your Lollipop® crabapple tree will produce a set of bright red crabapples that mature in fall and persist into winter. In their raw form, the crabapples can be a bit too tart. However, they can be more enjoyable if you incorporate them into jams. Harvesting these crabapples is as easy as removing them by hand from the branches.

Achieving maximum results

Along with attracting insect pollinators, the Lollipop® crabapple tree will also attract larger forms of wildlife, including birds, which often feed on the red crabapples this plant produces. As such, anyone interested in harvesting those fruits will need to do so before the birds have a chance. Also, the Lollipop® crabapple tree often proves to be resistant to deer browsing, which makes it an excellent plant for those who have struggled to keep deer out of their gardens.

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