Decorative apple tree with red leaves and flowers - an overview of the best varieties

In autumn, the orchard is painted in various bright colors, ranging from yellow-green to reddish-burgundy with shades of crimson. But there are plants that, regardless of the season, remain the original purple hue. Such "crops" are ornamental apple trees with red leaves.

Many gardeners plant plants not only for the purpose of harvesting, but more for decorating landscape design. To grow such a tree, you will first need to choose a variety, as well as familiarize yourself with the general rules for their care and maintenance.

Content:

• Royalty variety and its features
• Apple tree Rudolph and its description
• Apple tree Makamik
• Characteristics of the Ola variety
• Features of the Makovetsky variety
• Apple-tree Kitayka, its description
• Apple variety Royal Beauty
• Apple tree of Nedzvetsky
• Apple tree Helena
• Breeding methods for apple trees
• How to care for trees?
• All about pruning
• Diseases and pests
• Application in landscape design

Royalty variety and its features

Variety of purple apple - Royalty is a hybrid of apple trees of Nedzvetsky... For an ornamental tree, the type of plant is rather low, its height reaches only 5-6 m, but at the same time the crown width reaches 5 m.With proper pruning, the apple tree can be made not as a tree, but as an extensive shrub.

While the plant is considered young, it is quite compact, but when the apple tree reaches 5-6 years old, it is considered an adult plant, it becomes quite spreading and voluminous. Therefore, the variety will require specific pruning and care.

Features of the variety:

• The foliage of the plant is of a purple-red hue, the buds differ slightly in tone. Deciduous oval-shaped plates gradually change their shade by autumn, becoming more red.
• The flowering of the plant is observed in the second half of May, lasting only 2 weeks. The buds, opening, acquire a significant size and emit a specific delicate aroma that fills the air in the garden.
• The resulting fruits do not differ in quality, they are small, sour and not suitable for consumption.
• The shrub is hardy and also drought tolerant. Thanks to this, royalties can be planted in any territory of Russia.

The main thing is to have a beautiful ornamental plant, it is recommended to carry out preventive spraying with chemicals to prevent infection by pests and pathogenic bacteria.

Apple tree Rudolph and its description

The apple tree does not differ in specific growth, its height reaches only 5-6 m. Moreover, as the plant grows, the crown of the plant becomes more spreading and cumbersome. The plant produces large buds in the spring, from which flowers of a white-pink hue appear.They are so large that they almost completely cover branches and leaf plates from view.

After flowering, the plant forms small, up to 3 cm in diameter, yellowish fruits.

It is strongly discouraged to consume them fresh. It is better to try their taste in the form of preservation for the winter. Most importantly, they look interesting against the reddish background of foliage in the form of yellow suns throughout the tree. They tend to stay on the branch for a long period without falling off.

For quality care, you will need to periodically trim excess foliage. In spring and autumn, it is required to carry out sanitary removal of excess growth, as well as formative pruning.

Apple tree Makamik

The plant is of a high format - it can stretch up to 7 m in height. At the same time, it has a crown in the form of a ball. The foliage on the apple tree is oval, characterized by a change in color: from purple at the time of blooming to a rich green darkening by the end of autumn.

The flowers on the tree are very beautiful, purple in color, and have a double shape. After flowering, small fruits are formed, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, red in color.

Growing features:

• The plant prefers fertile soils with good lighting. It is recommended to plant a seedling on a personal plot in the spring.
• For rapid growth, it is worth feeding the tree periodically: with nitrogen fertilizers in spring, autumn. Potassium and phosphorus, and water abundantly.
• In the spring, it is imperative to carry out formative pruning, as well as cut off the affected areas, as well as damaged shoots. Z
• It is recommended that the trunk be protected from rodents, and during the spring and summer, it is recommended to spray against insect pests.

Characteristics of the Ola variety

By the standards of an ornamental plant, the variety of a red apple tree is not high, does not reach a height of 5 m, but at the same time the crown of the plant grows by such an amount. The culture is distinguished by its leaf plates. They have a green color, but at the same time give off a brilliant shade of purple color.

The flowering of the plant begins in May, covering the entire territory of the tree with beautiful large-format pink buds.

After that, fruits are formed in place of flowers. The apples are small - only 3 cm in volume, they stay on the branches for a long time and do not fall off.

Features of the Makovetsky variety

A kind of apple tree that does not stretch above 5 m. Its crown has a rounded shape, almost spherical, but at the same time it amazes with the density of its foliage.

Deciduous plates have a reddish tint.

On the branches in May, lush pink flowers bloom, each of which reaches 5 cm. The main difference between the variety is that it is capable of withstanding a significant cold snap.

Apple-tree Kitayka, its description

Kitayka is an interesting variety that cannot but attract views and interest. This is an American variety of apple, but originally grown in Siberia: it was zoned in the Siberian regions, mainly in the northwest.

Its description is as follows:

• The apple tree got its name due to the elongated shape of the fruit.
• Crohn - pyramidal or vertical.
• The foliage is large and dark green in color. Large white inflorescences bloom during flowering.
• After flowering, numerous apples are formed on the crown, no more than 3 cm in diameter, 20-25 grams each. each one.
• From each tree, under favorable living conditions, you can collect 200 kg. apples.
• The shape of the fruit is ovoid and is often confused with plums.
• Ripening occurs in late August. It is recommended to collect them in advance so that they do not fall and let them lie down for 21 days.

The main purpose of the fruits: first of all, decorativeness, as well as harvesting for processing for jam and making compotes.

Apple variety Royal Beauty

The variety is a hybrid that grows rapidly. Usually the plant does not exceed 2-3 m.in height. The foliage of the plant on the upper side remains purple in spring, and becomes crimson by autumn.

Flowering begins early enough compared to other varieties - in early May.

The buds of a dark red hue turn into large crimson flowers, emitting a fragrant smell. The crown, in the absence of pruning, becomes spherical or oval. But if you form it correctly, then its branches resemble a weeping willow in their drooping manner.

Apple tree of Nedzvetsky

One of the varieties of apple trees with bright red foliage. She is currently on the verge of extinction. The territory of its mass distribution is Central Asia.

Features of the structure:

• Plant height varies from 2 m to 6 m.
• The main difference from other decorative apple trees is the presence of anthocyanin (red pigment) in all parts and cell structure: flowers, seeds, fruits, including skin and pulp.
• There is also a red tone in the bark of the tree and even wood.
• Plant surface: trunks and branches are covered with dark purple bark.
• The foliage on the plant has an oval shape, which reaches 4 cm in width and 8 cm in length. There is a slight pubescence on the lower part of the leaf plate, which also covers the surface of the petiole. The tone of the deciduous plates is dark green with a red overflow present.
• The crown of the plant is spherical. Inflorescences up to 5 cm in size are formed on the branches, which, blooming, expose bright scarlet buds to the sun's rays.
• The plant blooms starting in the second half of May for 14 days.
• The apple tree can give its first fruiting only 5 years after planting for permanent residence. Fruits are red in color, each weighing up to 200 grams.

Apple tree Helena

The height of the tree is small, the plant does not stretch more than 4 m, even if it is well cared for and constantly watered. Deciduous apple tree plates are not large, only up to 7 cm in length, give off a dark pink tone.

The variety has the ability to withstand disease, pests and drought.

Flowers begin to form and gradually open from the last days of April. They are large and purple in color. In their place, over time, red apples are formed.

They can be eaten, they give off a sweet and sour aftertaste, while a pleasant rich smell emanates from them. The main feature is the ability to plant seedlings in areas where the winter is severe and the summer is not too warm.

Useful video about Nedzvetsky's apple tree:

Breeding methods for apple trees

There are several methods you can use to grow a decorative red-leaved apple tree. Each of the methods has its own advantages and disadvantages:

• Seeds - the method is carried out only to obtain hybrid or new forms. Novice gardeners are advised to try other methods.
• By cuttings - you can get a young seedling with the help of a scion, when a bud from the required variety is grafted onto a wild or unwanted plant. There is no need to cherish special hopes for such a method, but in some cases, gardeners are able to grow an excellent tree with the available signs and fruits of the grafted variety.

You can also grow a seedling from a cuttings placed in the ground. With proper care, the plant takes root and grows into a full-fledged tree with maternal qualities present.

How to care for trees?

In order for the tree to grow sprawling and powerful, it is necessary to carry out high-quality care. Without care and attention, red-leaved decorative apple trees lose their impressive appearance and turn into an ordinary dull apple tree.

To maintain its original appearance, it is recommended to follow the following care rules:

Care	Rules
Top dressing	It should be applied with knowledge of the qualities and type of soil. If the soil is sandy, then in the spring you will need additives with a large amount of nitrogen, but such a top dressing will not work for black soil.It is imperative to carry out the foliar application of nutrients. It is necessary to carry out top dressing on the first leaves, then during flowering and fruit formation. In the summer, it is required to feed every 2 weeks. And in the fall, carefully monitor the plant and track what is lacking for the normal growth of the apple tree.
Watering	Do not constantly add nutrient moisture when water is at hand. For proper watering, only 3 times a day of moisture is enough, but on condition that the soil is soaked about 80-90 cm deep. Watering is carried out: in the first days of summer, with the beginning of flowering, then in mid-July, when the fruits are formed. The latter should be carried out in October, for water-charging irrigation before frost.
Loosening near the trunk	This is necessary to remove weeds, as well as to loosen the crust on the surface from periodic watering, which blocks the possibility of normal oxygen supply to the rhizomes.

All about pruning

Pruning is carried out so that the plants do not thicken themselves in the first place, so as not to provoke the development of diseases that form due to the lack of ventilation inside the skeletal branches.

Several types of pruning are carried out: shaping, rejuvenating and sanitary.

The latter is most often carried out in the fall to prepare the plant for wintering without the presence of pests. It is also necessary to remove excess growth in the spring. During the winter, the tree can suffer from a large amount of snow mass and part of the branches can break off.

The formation of the crown is carried out by several methods. The following forms can be formed in a plant:

• Discharged tiered.
• Fusiform.
• Cup-shaped.
• Vertical palmette.

Most importantly, all methods are aimed at providing the plant with the correct balance between the central part (trunk) and the branches extending from it.

Diseases and pests

The reddish tint of the foliage is a warning sign for pests. Thanks to this, harmful parasites rarely appear on the apple tree. But in the absence of normal care, the plant can be affected by the following pests:

• Green aphid.
• Apple blossom beetle.
• Hawthorn.
• Apple honeydew.
• Fruit moth.

If a small number of pests are found, they must be immediately neutralized manually. If the population was identified late enough and the parasites managed to capture most of the tree, it is necessary to turn to chemical preparations.

You can try to influence folk remedies, but in most cases they are not effective. Therefore, the plant should be sprayed with Fufanon, Iskra, Lepidocid, Bitoxibacillin or Alatar.

Useful video about ornamental apple trees:

In addition to pests on apple trees, the following diseases tend to develop:

• Scab.
• Fruit rot.
• Antonov fire or black cancer.
• Powdery mildew.
• Rust.

In order to prevent the formation of diseases, it is important to timely carry out preventive measures for spraying with chemical fungicides... Constant monitoring of the state of the apple tree will allow you to get rid of pathogenic bacteria or parasites in time and save the plant from death.

Application in landscape design

Apple trees of this type have a specific color and are in demand by the gardener. But many do not know about their little secret. Their foliage is brightest in the spring season; in summer it begins to darken, completely turning green with the arrival of autumn.

Some varieties turn bright red immediately after the first young leaves bloom, and then gradually turn green. Such shrubs and trees should be pruned so that young shoots that immediately begin to grow intensively look like fiery flowers against the background of old foliage.

The red tint drives away harmful insects, and also has resistance to the rays of the sun.Therefore, in the gardens, more and more red apple trees or trees with a purple tint of foliage appear. The main thing is that they can be used as a decoration on a personal plot, where they grow quickly and sprawlingly.

An apple tree with interesting red deciduous plates will be interesting to stand out against the background of the green lawn, and it will also be set off by the white wall of the building.

Also, the plant will look among other cultural representatives of the flora: red against the background of green mass. The fruits of the ornamental apple tree do not differ in value, they are not used for preparing blanks for the winter or using jam in cooking. The only thing is that they can be included in the decoration of a dessert or culinary masterpiece. Therefore, they are used to create decorative bouquets, and are also included in floral arrangements.

Thus, the decorative apple tree with red leaves has many varieties. In most cases, the plants are all tall, with an abundance of fruit formation, but apples are not eaten. Therefore, before planting, it should be clarified why a seedling of the original apple tree is needed - as an ornamental plant or a tree for harvesting.