Further Information

You'll see our recommended planting densities for each size and root type listed next to the products below. We suggest that you use these as a guide, taking into consideration how long you're willing to wait to see your finished hedge. As a rough indication bare roots can be planted at anything from 3 to 7 per metre and cell grown between 4 and 6 - the higher densities here would need to be planted in a double staggered row or zig-zag.

For more information on planting distances please see our planting density advice section. Prices shown are the price per plant unless otherwise stated.

Pruning Advice

Crab Apple hedge trimming should be done twice a year, once during the cold days of early spring and again in early winter but make sure that the plant has gone dormant and frosts are not due.

Delivery & Returns

Everything you need to know about your delivery: Free delivery - this is available on most orders when you reach a minimum order value for your packaging type which is based on the size and quantity of plants that you order. Details are in the delivery information table below.

Packaging Type	Standard Delivery Charge	Minimum Order Values for FREE Delivery
Boxes (Bare roots and pots up to and inc 7.5L)	£7.99 delivery charge (orders up to £60)	Orders of £60 and over - FREE
Pallets (Root balls, large pots 10L+, trees etc)	£60 delivery charge (orders up to £350)	Orders of £350 and over - FREE
Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery)	£450 delivery charge (orders up to £1500)	Orders of £1500 and over - FREE

Nominated Day Delivery – Choose a day that suits you for your delivery. If nominated delivery is available on the products you’ve chosen, you’ll be able to select this option at checkout. Fees for this will depend on the product selected and your delivery address.

For full delivery information, including geographical exceptions, see our delivery page

Crab Apple Hedging Malus sylvestris

From £1.09

In Stock

Crab Apple hedging (also known as Malus sylvestris) is a native deciduous hedging plant. From March to May, you can expect to see beautiful, pink-tinged blossom, emerging from red buds, before it starts to bear fruit in the autumn months.

NATIVE
AVERAGE GROWING
HAS BERRIES
HAS FLOWERS (White)

Planting Conditions: Suitable for normal, chalk and clay soils, full sun to semi shaded areas and inland, exposed or coastal sites
Growth Rate: Average growing, expect 20-40cm a year
Height: Easily maintained at 1-5m
Bare root plants are shown in winter dormancy as a single bare root and a bundle for comparison. Please note if ordering 1 x bare root, this will be a single plant not a bundle unless shown as a multibuy item.
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Malus sylvestris Hedge Plant Description

Crab Apple hedging will truly bring your garden to life with its abundance of fruit and flowers. The lovely blossoms have a distinctly summery feel and are very popular with bees. In fact Crab Apples support around 90 different species of insects and birds.

Crab apples are edible and look like miniature yellow-green apples, but unlike other apples, they have a very sour taste, so although you may prefer to not eat them raw, crab apples make delicious jelly. The best time to pick crab apples is after the first frost.

Tolerant of most soil types, Crap Apple hedging plants grow best in sunny or partially shaded conditions. Commonly planted in mixed native hedges, this resilient hedge grows around 20-40cm per year.

Bare root Crab Apple hedging is available from November to late April. When planting these shrubs as bare roots, three plants per square metre is adequate to create a hedge, but five plants is preferable, whilst seven planted in a double staggered row will help to provide a dense hedge at a faster rate. For cell-grown Crab Apple shrubs, which are available all year round, we recommend planting these in a single row with four per metre, or six per metre in a staggered row.

*Please note that in accordance with DEFRA regulations, we are unable to dispatch this species to anywhere outside of the UK Mainland.

What are root types?

Root types explained.

Bare root
Field grown, bare roots are young plants that are only planted when they are dormant, from autumn to spring. We lift bare root plants and despatch them during the season but they can be pre-ordered in summer. As they are cheaper to grow, they are one of our most affordable hedge planting options.
Pot grown
Pot grown plants can be planted year round and make a convenient option. They come in a wide range of sizes, from 10cm to 2.5m so they're suitable for the majority of planting requirements.
Root ball
Also field grown, root ball plants are scooped out of the ground using machinery to keep their root system intact and wrapped in bio-degradable, hessian sacks. They are mature plants that provide dense coverage very early on, ideal for when you need a thick hedge quickly.
Instant
Grown in troughs or bags that measure 50cm-1 metre in length and carefully clipped during the growing season. Our instant hedging troughs create a dramatic, instant hedge effect.