Get to know this plant.
Identification clue 1
Alternate toothed leaves
Identification clue 2
Pink-red spring flowers
Identification clue 3
Small persistent apple-like fruits
Read the leaves
Simple toothed leaves may have a bronze or purplish cast. Color is supporting evidence, not proof of a cultivar.
More growing details
Read the bark
Gray-brown bark becomes scaly on older wood.
Fruit & seed
Small dark red crabapples develop after bloom and can linger; inspect the persistent calyx at the fruit tip.
Winter character
Short fruiting spurs and remaining small apples support a crabapple identification.
Origin & place
An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.
Compare with Other crabapples
Cultivars overlap in flower and fruit color; reliable nursery provenance is needed for Prairifire.
WNC Notes
Disease-resistant ornamental crabapple; fruit and wildlife activity should suit placement.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
15–20
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
15–20
BLOOM SEASON
Mid spring
BLOOM COLOR
Catkins
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Orange-red; red fruit-brown
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Low–high
Drought Tolerance
Low