Malus transitoria

Of the many fine crab apples in cultivation, Malus transitoria is arguably the most beautiful. A wide spreading little tree, often as wide as it is high, its delicate, deeply lobed leaves become gold with pink and russet tints in autumn. In spring, the tree is a mass of tiny star-shaped white flowers, truly an arresting sight. These develop into small, rich yellow, round fruits which persist after leaf fall into early winter, hanging in profusion from every branch and twig.
In 1911, William Purdom, who was plant hunting for the Veitch nurseries of Exeter and Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum, came upon Malus transitoria, now grown as a single stemmed, elegant little tree, but then growing in thickets in Gansu Province, north west China.
This specimen is beautifully positioned in the Robert Marnock Garden. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.