Royal Raindrops Crabapple

Magenta Spring Blooms
Purple Cutleaf Foliage
Persistent Red Fruit

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Grasshopper Gardens offers free home delivery to customers in our local service areas. Experience the convenience of having your plants delivered straight to your home, free of charge, saving you time and effort.

Our local delivery area reaches as far north as Schroon Lake, south to Voorheesville, Glenmont, and East Greenbush areas, parts of Fulton and Montgomery counties, much of Washington County, and all areas in between. If you have questions on local delivery, give us a call at

518-793-9623.
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Royal Raindrops Crabapple

Sunlight
Can grow in a range from full sun to partial shade. They need at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day.
Watering
Regular watering schedule for the first six months. Once established, rainwater should be sufficient.
Fertilizing
Should not need any extra fertilizer unless your entire lawn and garden have problems and needs regular fertilizing.

Royal Raindrops Crabapple

Royal Raindrops Crabapple is a compact ornamental flowering tree prized for magenta-pink spring blooms, deeply cut purple foliage, persistent red fruit, and bright seasonal color. Its refined size and bold leaf texture make it excellent for sunny lawns, entry plantings, borders, and small landscape focal points.

Why choose Royal Raindrops Crabapple?

Choose Royal Raindrops Crabapple for a high-impact ornamental tree with three-season color in a manageable form. Spring flowers create a vivid display, followed by purple cutleaf foliage that gives the tree a distinctive texture through summer. Small red crabapples add late-season interest and may attract birds as colder weather arrives. Its compact size, rounded habit, and colorful presence make it especially useful where a smaller flowering tree is wanted near patios, walkways, lawns, and mixed garden beds.

Key Characteristics

Botanical Name: Malus ‘JFS-KW5’ Royal Raindrops®
Common Name: Royal Raindrops Crabapple
Plant Type: Deciduous flowering tree
Growth Habit: Compact, upright to rounded ornamental tree

Royal Raindrops Crabapple Additional Information

Royal Raindrops Crabapple blooms in spring with bright magenta-pink flowers that stand out vividly against emerging purple foliage. The leaves are deeply lobed, giving the tree a more textured, refined look than many traditional crabapples. As the season progresses, foliage typically holds attractive purple to bronze-green tones before shifting toward warm fall color.

Small red to maroon crabapples mature later in the season and can persist into winter, adding color after leaf drop and providing food for birds. This deciduous tree is well suited for specimen plantings, sunny borders, entry landscapes, street-side plantings, and small ornamental groupings. Prune only as needed to shape young trees or remove damaged growth, preferably in late winter. Royal Raindrops Crabapple is also valued for good landscape performance and improved disease resistance compared with many older crabapple selections.

Planting & Care

1. Planting: Plant Royal Raindrops Crabapple in full sun with well-drained soil and enough space for its mature canopy. Set the root flare at or slightly above the surrounding soil level, and avoid planting too deeply.

2. Watering: Water deeply after planting and keep soil evenly moist during the establishment period. Once established, provide supplemental water during extended dry spells, especially in hot, exposed, or fast-draining sites.

3. Mulching: Apply a 2–3 inch mulch layer over the root zone to conserve moisture, reduce weed competition, and moderate soil temperature. Keep mulch pulled several inches away from the trunk.

4. Pruning: Prune in late winter as needed to remove dead, damaged, crossing, or crowded branches. Light structural pruning while young helps maintain an attractive form and good airflow.

Related Resources

FAQs

How large does Royal Raindrops Crabapple get?
Royal Raindrops Crabapple typically matures as a compact ornamental tree, often reaching about 15–20 feet tall with a somewhat narrower to rounded spread, depending on site conditions and pruning.
When does Royal Raindrops Crabapple bloom?
Royal Raindrops Crabapple blooms in spring with vivid magenta-pink flowers, followed by colorful foliage and small red fruit later in the season.
Where should I plant Royal Raindrops Crabapple?
Plant it in a sunny lawn, entry bed, mixed border, streetscape, or focal-point location where its spring flowers, purple foliage, and red fruit can be easily enjoyed.

Shipping Details

Estimated Shipping Time: Most orders ship immediately. As noted on the website, some items are seasonal, and may only ship in spring or fall. Once your order is shipped, you’ll receive an email with a tracking number.

Amount of Order	Shipping Charge
Local Delivery	FREE SHIPPING
Non-Local Delivery	Varies based on UPS shipping

Tall Growth
Full Sun
Flowering

Mature Height	Medium: Up to 30 ft
Mature Spread	10-20 ft
Growth Rate	Fast, Moderate
Botanical Name	Malus 'JFS-KW5'
Bloom Time	Mid spring, Early Spring
Deer Resistant	No
Family	Rosaceae
Flower Color	Pink
Hardiness Zones	4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Light Needs	Full Sun
Maintenance	Low
Size	1-2" Caliper

Map of the United States with all states outlined and filled in dark greenli

Growing Zones 4-8 Outdoors

(Hardy down to -30)

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Name	Sugar Maple	Profusion Crabapple	Sargent Crabapple	Firefall Maple	Burgundy Belle Maple	Gladiator Crabapple
Rating
Mature Height	Medium: Up to 30 ft	Large: Up to 30 ft or more	Small: Up to 15 ft	Medium: Up to 30 ft	Medium: Up to 30 ft	Medium: Up to 30 ft
Mature Spread	20+ ft	20+ ft	10-20 ft	20+ ft	20+ ft	5-10 ft
Growth Rate	Moderate, Slow	Fast, Moderate	Moderate, Slow	Fast	Fast, Moderate	Fast
Bloom Time	Mid spring, Early Spring	Mid spring, Early Spring	Late Spring, Mid spring	Mid spring, Early Spring	Mid spring, Early Spring	Mid spring
Deer Resistant	Usually	Usually	No	Usually	Usually	No
Flower Color	Non Flowering	Pink	White	Non Flowering	Non Flowering	Pink
Family	Sapindaceae	Rosaceae	Rosaceae	Sapindaceae	Sapindaceae	Rosaceae
Hardiness Zones	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Light Needs	Full Sun	Full Sun	Full Sun	Full Sun	Full Sun	Full Sun
Maintenance	Low	Low	Low	Medium	Low	Low