Sugar Tyme Crabapple

BY: Elizabeth Noll

Sugar Tyme is one of the most popular crabapple trees ever. In fact, ten years ago it won the Michigan Grower’s Choice Award. Packed into this little tree is a year’s worth of beauty—fragrant, snowy-white blossoms in spring, glossy green leaves in summer, and bright red fruit in fall and winter. It’s also very resistant to disease. Don’t just sit around waiting for better times ahead—plant Sugar Tyme, and they’ll come to you.

Common name: Sugar Tyme crabapple
Botanical name: Malus ‘Sutyzam’ Sugar Tyme
Plant type: Deciduous tree
Zones: 4 to 8
Height: 14 to 20 feet tall
Family: Rosaceae

Growing conditions
• Sun: Full sun
• Soil: Acidic, well-drained
• Moisture: Average

Care
• Mulch: Mulch to help keep soil moist.
• Pruning: Minimal pruning needed. Prune dead, damaged, or crossing branches after flowering (in May or early June).
• Fertilizer: None needed

Pests and diseases
• Aphids, tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles, and borers may attack the tree.
• Sugar Tyme has excellent resistance to apple scab, and good resistance to fire blight, powdery mildew, and cedar-apple rust.

Garden notes
• Sugar Tyme makes a good small shade tree or specimen tree. It’s tolerant of the stresses of city life and generally small enough not to cause trouble with power lines, so it makes a great street tree, too.
• Butterflies like the spring flowers, and birds love the fruit.
• Though most of Sugar Tyme’s fruit will cling to the branches well into winter, some will fall to the ground, so pick a site where this won’t be an issue. For instance, don’t plant the tree right next to your patio or front door.

All in the family
• There are about 35 species in the Malus genus. It’s not a big genus, but it contains one of the most important fruit crops in the world: apples.
• The difference between a crabapple and an apple is size. Fruit that’s less than 2 inches in diameter is a crabapple and fruit that’s more than 2 inches is an apple.
• Other trees in the rose family include hawthorns, juneberries, chokeberries, cherries, peaches, and plums.

Where to buy
• Nature Hills Nursery, Omaha, NE, 402-934-8116, www.naturehills.com
• Sooner Plant Farm, Park Hill, OK, 918-453-0771, www.soonerplantfarm.com
• Woodstock Nursery, Neillsville, WI, 888-803-8733, www.wallace-woodstock.com

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Sugar Tyme Crabapple

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Current Articles \| Archives \| Search Sugar Tyme Crabapple Plant of the Week BY: Elizabeth Noll 0 Sugar Tyme is one of the most popular crabapple trees ever. In fact, ten years ago it won the Michigan Grower’s Choice Award. Packed into this little tree is a year’s worth of beauty—fragrant, snowy-white blossoms in spring, glossy green leaves in summer, and bright red fruit in fall and winter. It’s also very resistant to disease. Don’t just sit around waiting for better times ahead—plant Sugar Tyme, and they’ll come to you. Common name: Sugar Tyme crabapple Botanical name: Malus ‘Sutyzam’ Sugar Tyme Plant type: Deciduous tree Zones: 4 to 8 Height: 14 to 20 feet tall Family: Rosaceae Growing conditions • Sun: Full sun • Soil: Acidic, well-drained • Moisture: Average Care • Mulch: Mulch to help keep soil moist. • Pruning: Minimal pruning needed. Prune dead, damaged, or crossing branches after flowering (in May or early June). • Fertilizer: None needed Pests and diseases • Aphids, tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles, and borers may attack the tree. • Sugar Tyme has excellent resistance to apple scab, and good resistance to fire blight, powdery mildew, and cedar-apple rust. Garden notes • Sugar Tyme makes a good small shade tree or specimen tree. It’s tolerant of the stresses of city life and generally small enough not to cause trouble with power lines, so it makes a great street tree, too. • Butterflies like the spring flowers, and birds love the fruit. • Though most of Sugar Tyme’s fruit will cling to the branches well into winter, some will fall to the ground, so pick a site where this won’t be an issue. For instance, don’t plant the tree right next to your patio or front door. All in the family • There are about 35 species in the Malus genus. It’s not a big genus, but it contains one of the most important fruit crops in the world: apples. • The difference between a crabapple and an apple is size. Fruit that’s less than 2 inches in diameter is a crabapple and fruit that’s more than 2 inches is an apple. • Other trees in the rose family include hawthorns, juneberries, chokeberries, cherries, peaches, and plums. Where to buy • Nature Hills Nursery, Omaha, NE, 402-934-8116, www.naturehills.com • Sooner Plant Farm, Park Hill, OK, 918-453-0771, www.soonerplantfarm.com • Woodstock Nursery, Neillsville, WI, 888-803-8733, www.wallace-woodstock.com Comments There are currently no comments, be the first to post one. Post Comment Only registered users may post comments.