Just two years ago I planted a crabapple 'Arrow Gold' and what a good idea that was. Crabapple's continue into the winter, and the brightness of them adds interest, when most other vegetation is quite subdued, even grim.
One Hundred and Fifty years ago this area had almost ever seen a human. About half a hour up river from here the discovery of gold transformed the area. At the town now called Arrowtown, on the Arrow River, the first arrivals could almost just shovel the gold from the bed of the river.
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| Malus Arrow Gold. May 2014. Winter has just started. |
An enterprising plant breeder from there has bred the Crabapple and named it 'Arrow Gold'. I first decided to buy it because conditions are severe here, and any cultivar bred locally has the potential to be well suited to the area.
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| Malus Arrow Gold. More than two meters at two years. And good shape. |
The idea has worked beyond expectation. The Arrow Gold Crabapple is growing very very well. We still get a lot of sun, and it gleams and visually stands out even from 100 meters away. I think this tree will double in size again, in the next two years. Spectacular.
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| Arrow Gold Crabapple. Antidote to winter drabness. |
The lovely little waxeye birds are starting to take notice. They have eaten some of the apples, but only at the end of the branches. Maybe those are the first to ripen. But I think we will have the glow of apples for another two months yet.
There is also quite a spectacular show of springtime blossums. Sorry I have not got photos.
Hi
ReplyDeleteWhen visiting Arrowtown in April we were very impressed by the golden tall rose that was flowering around town ,do you know it’s name it would look lovely next to the Arrow Crabapple to flower in a Waikato garden.
Many thanks
Jan & Cyril Markham