Crabapples: Sales trends and consumer preferences in Iowa

Abstract

A survey questionnaire was sent to all 180 active members of the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association to assess the importance of crabapples (Malus sp.) to the nursery and landscape industry in Iowa, identify crabapple taxa offered for sale, and characterize consumer preferences. Most of the respondents (83%) identified crabapples as their customers' preferred flowering tree, with cultivars 'Prairifire', 'Spring Snow', and 'Snowdrift' as the most popular taxa. Slightly less than two-thirds of all respondents indicated they had eliminated certain crabapple selections from their product line. The cultivars 'Radiant' and 'Royalty' were cited most frequently as discontinued taxa, primarily because of disease problems. Businesses must continually evaluate the appropriateness of the crabapple taxa they carry to insure they are offering only those selections with excellent ornamental utility and superior disease resistance.