Velvet Pillar is a cultivar of crabapple trees that produces an attractive spring display. The tree is well-known for its gorgeous velvety purple foliage. It is an excellent addition to residential settings as well as public gardens because it gives photographers and admirers a picturesque gaze to enjoy. It is known by its scientific name, Malus ‘Velvetcole’. This Velvet Pillar is mostly grown in Idaho, but it can be planted between USDA hardiness zones 4 and 7.
This is a spreading, deciduous tree that exhibits a semi-weeping form. The leaves of this tree are oval, frequently lobed, up to three inches long, and deep green. Pale pink blossoms emerge from red buds and eventually turn white as the flowers mature. The majority of soils are suitable for this tree, however feeding it peat and compost can make it more beautiful. ‘Velvet Pillar’ is an upright columnar 20-by-14-foot tree with dark purple foliage and sparse pink flowers and red fruit.
Velvet Pillar Crabapple Growth Rate
The Velvet Pillar Crabapple reaches maturity at a height of around 20 feet and a spread of 12 feet. It features a low canopy, with a normal clearance of one foot from the ground, making it excellent for growing under power lines because of its location.
It exhibits a moderate growth rate, and, with the right conditions, one can anticipate it living for fifty years or more. This tree requires complete sunlight to thrive. It can grow in any soil, regardless of pH. It has a high tolerance for urban pollution and can even flourish in urban environments.
This tree’s pointed leaves are dark purple when they first grow out, and they retain that color until fall when they take on more red tones. From dark red buds, the springtime clusters of beautiful pink flowers bloom. The 3/8-inch fruit is an attractive shade of crimson-red and lasts until late autumn.
Velvet Pillar Crabapple Size
The Velvet Pillar Crabapple develops red buds that bloom to rose pink blossoms in the spring. This tree has a fantastic display every spring. In the autumn, it yields fruits that are crimson-red. Fruits from the tree are often used to produce jam or cider, and they are edible. In the fall, the velvety-looking, purplish leaves turn red. It is a medium-growing, narrow, upright, deciduous tree that performs best when given enough direct sunlight. Its mature height and width are anticipated to be around 20 feet and 10 feet, respectively.
It thrives in soils that are slightly damp but well-drained. The Velvet Pillar Crabapple is a popular plant for attracting a variety of birds, including hummingbirds, bees, and other wildlife.
Velvet Pillar Crabapple Care
The USDA zones 4-7 are ideal for the cultivation of Velvet Pillar crabapples. These plants are not hardy in zones 8 and higher due to their low heat tolerance.
The Velvet Pillar crabapples are hardy enough to survive even the worst winters, withstanding temperatures as low as -35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mid to late spring is ideal for planting this Velvet Pillar crabapple tree. The ideal pH range for these trees is between 5.5 and 7.5, as this allows them to flourish. The ideal soil texture lies somewhere between a sand and clay blend and a normal to moist texture.
The best conditions for tree growth are provided by direct sunshine. Planting the Velvet Crabapple trees on the south or west side of a building ensures that it receives the most sunlight.
Crabapple trees need pruning to grow. It is recommended that this Velvet Pillar crabapple tree be pruned on occasion by cutting complete branches that are located near the trunk’s rear.
Velvet Pillar Crabapple Diseases
Velvet crabapple plants are susceptible to the same diseases as other crabapple varieties. The crabapple trees are susceptible to the following diseases:
- Fireblight is an infectious bacterial disease that predominantly affects Rosaceae family members. Fireblight is mostly caused by the weather because it grows in the bark over the winter and spreads and affects the tree when it is warm and wet.
- Cedar-apple Rusts are a type of crabapple tree illness that require biotrophic hosts, rather than necrotrophs, which feed on decomposing organic matter.
- The B group of crabapple tree diseases is represented by Botryosphaeria canker infections. It is a type of fungus that can only develop on trees that are already weak or are being attacked by another type of pathogen.
- Powdery mildew, like cedar-apple rust, affects all species of crabapples everywhere because it is a biotrophic infection. Diseases of crabapple trees are often caused by fungi, but this one is unique in that it doesn’t require water for growth or transmission, therefore it’s known as “dry weather disease.”
