Because weeping trees are not the norm and are rarely seen outside of cultivated landscapes, you might wonder where plants like 'Red Jade' come from. In fact, random mutations that give rise to weeping plants are indeed rare and unusual occurrences. And were it not for a keen eye, some inquisitiveness, and more than a little serendipity, we might never have gotten the chance to know and appreciate Malus 'Red Jade'.

The Malus 'Red Jade' story begins in northeast Asia with the discovery and introduction in the early to mid 1800's of Malus prunifolia. The pearleaf (or plumleaf) crabapple, known for its fruitfulness, is also known for its many forms, and as luck would have it, a weeping form was discovered and given the cultivar name 'Pendula'. Later, Malus prunifolia 'Pendula' was crossed with Malus floribunda (Japanese flowering crabapple) and the result was a small weeping tree called Malus floribunda 'Exzellenz Thiel'. Introduced by the Arnold Arboretum in 1912, this diminutive, disease-prone crabapple was one of the first weeping ornamental trees used in the U.S. In 1935 serendipity stepped in as Dr. George M. Reed of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, N.Y., either discovered or purposely germinated and grew open-pollinated seedlings from M. floribunda 'Exzellenz Thiel'. It isn't clear what initially drew his attention, but one of these seedlings developed into a beautiful, weeping tree and in 1953 it was given the cultivar name 'Red Jade'. The name is a bit of a mystery, but probably refers to the bright red fruit (1/2 inch in diameter) and glossy green foliage, the most notable and recognizable features of Malus 'Red Jade'.

For the last fifty years or so, Malus 'Red Jade' has set the standard for small weeping trees. White flowers followed by the aforementioned red and persistent fruit create landscape interest in the spring and fall, but it's the unmistakable weeping habit that captures our interest regardless of calendar date. Growing 10-12 feet high and spreading 20-30 feet across, 'Red Jade' isn't ashamed of its "weepiness" and virtually commands your attention and respect especially in winter after snow or ice has coated the delicate, pendulous branches.

Still, we haven't sufficiently answered questions about positioning Malus 'Red Jade' in the landscape. Well, at the very least, give the tree ample room to grow. In the landscape design world there's nothing worse than seeing trees used primarily for their architectural traits crowded next to a building, spilling out over a sidewalk or driveway, or fighting for space with other woody plants. But after you've satisfied that important criterion, placement becomes very subjective. I recommend using 'Red Jade' to soften the corners of buildings, as a focal point at either end of a shrub border, to compliment a water feature, or planted amidst a drift of spring-flowering bulbs or any number of ground-hugging herbaceous perennials. Remember, give 'Red Jade' its space and the spotlight.

Are better or improved weeping crabapples available in today's nursery/landscape trade? To be honest, selections like 'Louisa', 'Luwick', and 'Huber' (Royal Fountain^®) might have superior resistance to disease-causing pathogens, but all would have a difficult time rivaling the stately elegance of Malus 'Red Jade'.