Crispin Wood describes the crabapple collection around the Farm in 2013. The numbers on the aerial photo correspond to the items in his text below.
1. Every spring, blossoming crabapple trees transform Prince of Wales Drive as it winds through the Central Experimental Farm. On either side of the road, stretching north and south of the roundabout, stand roughly 100 mature trees. Planted in 1952, they represent the better part of the Central Experimental Farm’s collection of the Lake Series of Rosybloom crabapples originated by Isabella Preston.
There are 22 different cultivars in the Lake Series, each carrying the name of a famous Canadian lake. Only five occur as parkway specimens on Prince of Wales to any great extent (‘Cowichan’, ‘Arrow’, ‘Rousseau’, ‘Makamik’ and ‘Geneva’). The remainder of the collection are represented as solitary specimens in the rows, or in locations elsewhere on the Farm.
2. The “old” crabapple collection is located just north of Building 72 and has a number of the oldest apple trees on the property. Its proximity to visitor parking makes it one of the most visited areas in the Arboretum and its collection of mature, species crabapples provides a glorious range of bloom colours and bloom times each spring.
3. A newer grouping of crabapples can be found on the “big island” adjacent to the Rideau Canal. As one travels north on the NCC bike path from the Hartwell Locks towards the arched steel bridge, a long row of some 30 Siberian crabapples flank the shores of the Rideau Canal. This row ends at the foot of the bridge where a grouping of 15 to 20-year old crabapples can be found of popular varieties such as the weeping ‘Red Jade’ and the white flowered ‘Dolgo’, or newer cultivars such as ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Thunderchild’. On the other side of the bridges, near the woodland, is a ‘Cameron’ crabapple that was originated at the Farm by D. F. Cameron, who succeeded Isabella Preston.
4. The last large grouping of crabapples in the Arboretum is also the newest and has been colloquially referred to as “crabapple valley.” Although not located in a valley as such, this collection sits just north of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden in a small depression at the base of the escarpment below the interpretive centre. There are about 30 trees in this grouping including the popular Rosybloom cultivar ‘Hopa’ and the unique large-fruited Lake Series crabapple ‘Geneva’.
Along with these main groupings, crabapples can be found scattered across the campus of the Central Experimental Farm, a testament to their versatility as an ornamental landscape tree. Some notable specimens include: M. ioensis ‘Plena’ (Bechtel’s Crabapple), located in the woodland, a late bloomer with showy two-inch, rose-coloured double blossoms; ‘Montreal Beauty’, found at the west entrance to the K. W. Neatby Building and believed to be one of the first ornamental varieties developed in Canada; and the lovely weeping ‘Red Jade’, about 50 years old, just west of the main entrance to the Saunders Building.
Crispin Wood
Lead Hand, Arboretum, AAFC