Remembering Jim Zampini and the Art and Joy of Growing Crab Apples

April 14, 2017

On this day, the Beijing Crabapple Conference began.

Visitors toured the Crabapple Garden during the conference, which featured many new American cultivars of crabapples like Brandywine, Cinderella, Molten Lava, Lollipop, and Madonna - all of which were created by the respected and admired nurseryman from Lake County, Ohio, Jim Zampini.

During the conference, attendees were sad to learn that Jim had passed away at 85.

Jim Zampini’s legacy lives on today in his fantastic crabapple varieties like Centurion, Harvest Gold, Lancelot Dwarf, Sugar Tyme, and the Weeping Candied Apple.

Crabapples are small, deciduous trees with densely woven branches that feature fragrant and beautiful white, pink, or red petals when they bloom in the spring. Self-sterile crabapples rely on bees and other insects for pollination. The trees rarely grow taller than 25 feet high.

Generally speaking, a crabapple tree takes two to five years to bear fruit. Crabapples differ from standard apple trees in that they offer smaller fruit. Apples that are less than 2 inches in diameter are considered crabapples.

If you want to plant a mini-orchard of Crabapple trees, space the saplings 6 to 15 feet apart. Group them on the closer end of that range if you are planting dwarf or more upright varieties.

Crabapple trees are just beginning to come into bloom in our 2021 gardens. When they are in flower, few flowering trees can rival their charm.

In Polish folklore, apple trees were considered dream trees. Sleeping under apple trees was thought to create a dream-filled sleep. Placing an apple under a maiden’s pillow could induce a dream of her future husband.

In English folklore, crabapple seeds or pips were thrown into the fire on Valentine’s Eve while chanting your true love's name. If the pips explode, your love will be true and last forever.