In between the blooming of the orchard trees and the cascades of white blooms that will soon flow from the mock oranges, one specimen tree at Coppertop puts on a great show.

Due to its growth habit and flower color I’ve tentatively identified this weeping crabapple variety as either ‘Red Jade’ or ‘Molten Lava.’ This source shows an excellent breakdown of crabapple trees. Ours will not get much larger than its 12×12′.

Small red fruit the size of miniature cherries will develop once the bees have completed their vital work, but the fruit is tiny enough to be left for lucky birds. We appreciate that this tree is known for its very persistent fruit, meaning the crabapples don’t readily drop and create a mess, unlike the apple trees in the orchard. Its fall color is a mild yellow, but behind it grows a large vine maple that is spectacular in the fall.

In 2016 this tree bloomed in April, yet another indication that we are roughly a month behind due to our cold winter and spring.