If you love bright flowering plants, you may already be a fan of crabapple trees. This tree is often known for its vibrant hues of fuchsia and red, but have you heard of the Harvest Gold variety?
As its name describes, the Harvest Gold crabapple Tree adds warm and golden colors to any garden or landscape.
Keep reading to learn about this colorful tree’s characteristics, including its health benefits, ways to enjoy it, and how to grow your own.
Looking to buy a Harvest Gold crabapple tree? Check availability.
Characteristics of the Harvest Gold Crabapple Tree
What It Looks Like
This tree grows upright and has many branches that stem from a relatively-thin trunk.
Covering these branches are the signature flowers and vibrant-colored fruits. Delicate white flowers cover the tree during the spring months, and as they blossom, they turn into yellow-golden crabapples that last into the winter months.
Green leaves are dispersed throughout the branches that also turn to shades of yellow during the fall, leaving a blanket of different shades of yellow and gold.
Size of the Tree
When mature, this tree will grow up to 20 to 25 feet. Its width is between 15 and 20 feet, making the Harvest Gold crabapple tree an outstanding focal point in any landscape.
What Its Fruit Tastes Like
Raw Harvest Gold crabapples are often too tart to eat raw. However, they make for a bold and flavorful addition to your favorite jams and treats when cooked.
These fruits have a high acid and pectin content, producing a tart and tangy apple flavor.
Crabapple Tree History
The crabapple tree originally came from the mountainous regions of (modern-day) Kazakhstan, in Central Asia.
This tree was primarily used for its wood. When crabapple wood is burned very slowly, it releases a pleasant smell ideal for making smoked foods.
The crabapple tree is also known as a symbol of fertility and a forager’s delight. It is often associated with love and marriage.
It was believed that if you threw the fruit’s seeds into the fire and they exploded while saying the name of your love, the love is true.
Ways to Enjoy
Enjoying the Fruit
Although not very tasty when raw, cooked Harvest Gold crabapples add a bright appley flavor to a variety of dishes.
One way to use this unique fruit is as a key ingredient in a Crabapple Pie. Mixing unpeeled Harvest Gold crabapples with lemon juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, and a few other ingredients is the perfect combination for a fun twist on a classic dessert.
Crabapples’ flavor and chemical makeup also make these fruits great for homemade jams and jellies. Because this fruit naturally contains pectin, there is no need to add any, making this Crabapple Jelly the easiest jelly you’ll ever make.
All you need is your Harvest Golds crabapples, water, and sugar, and you’ll be able to create a sweet spread anyone will love.
Using the Flowers
Believe it or not, Harvest Gold crabapple flowers can be used for more than just their looks. While yes, they are a beautiful sight in any garden, they also have a place in the kitchen.
If you love blossom flavors, like lavender or rose, you definitely need to try making this Crabapple Blossom Simple Syrup. Add this syrup to add a floral twist to your favorite mocktail and cocktail recipes. You can even drizzle it on vanilla ice cream to establish the perfect sweet blossom taste.
Be sure not to use all of the flowers for the syrup, as their pretty colors and delicate petals can be used to garnish your new favorite drink or dessert!
Health Benefits of Crabapples
Crabapples, including the Harvest Gold variety, are low-calorie fruits with nutritious benefits. These fruits contain high antioxidants, which can help the body rid itself of harmful free radicals.
The crabapple is also an excellent source of vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and helps fight off illness. I guess you could say, “A (crab)apple a day keeps the doctor away!”
Growing Your Own Harvest Gold Crabapple Tree
If you’re looking for a show-stopping addition to your yard that your neighbors will envy, growing a Harvest Gold crabapple Tree is easier than you think. With the right tools, this disease-resistant plant can be grown by anyone, no matter your gardening experience.
Soil
This tree is very low-maintenance. Although it does best in well-drained soil, it can thrive in just about any type. It’s incredibly hardy and can even tolerate salty and polluted environments!
Sunlight
The Harvest Gold crabapple tree grows best in full sunlight.
Care Tips
When planting, water this tree deeply twice weekly for the first one to three months.
During its first year of life, it’s best to water your tree once weekly in spring and summer and once monthly during the fall and winter. After that year, you’ll only need to water it during dry spells.
When planting the tree, make sure not to burn the roots with fertilizer mixed into the soil. Instead, choose a slow-release fertilizer and use it after planting your tree.
Harvesting the Fruits
Crabapples are easily harvested and can be done by hand or with fruit-picking tools. Sometimes you can shake the branches and let the fruits fall into a tarp or blanket below. Crabapples are quite durable, so they’ll not likely bruise during the fall.
Buying a Tree
The Harvest Gold crabapple is rarer than other crabapple varieties, making it a bit hard to find.
One of our favorite retailers, Stark Bros, has a great selection of crabapple varieties. Browse their crabapple trees and check for updates to see if the Harvest Gold will be added to their inventory!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow the tree from a seed/seeds?
Although challenging, propagating a crabapple tree from the seed is possible. However, the tree won’t grow into a true parent from grafting and budding.
To grow a crabapple tree from a seed, make sure your seeds come directly from a ripe fruit from a parent tree.
How can I save Harvest Gold crabapple seeds?
To save and use these seeds, cut open a ripe Harvest Gold crabapple and remove the seeds from the core.
Rinse the seeds with water to remove excess sugar and flesh from the fruit, and leave them on a paper towel to dry for at least 24 hours.
Are crabapple trees good for my garden?
Crabapple trees are extremely beneficial to home gardens for a variety of reasons. In addition to their beauty, these trees can help pollinate other fruit trees nearby.
If you’re a bird lover, these trees will also bring cardinals, robins, and cedar waxwings to your garden in the winter. Crabapple fruits are an excellent source of food for these animals.
More Than Just an Apple Tree
Whether you’re hoping to impress your neighbors with a golden landscape, or are simply interested in identifying the pretty flowers you saw in someone’s yard, hopefully, this article gave you a better understanding of the wonders of the Harvest Gold crabapple Tree.
Take a look at our Crabapple Trees page for more information and all you need to know about this parent tree and its different varieties.