Crabapple Evolution

From the front-facing window and small balcony at the apartment, there’s a view of the street below and the shaded courtyard of the house across. When we first arrived, the trees were mostly bare or just beginning to leaf out.

By the second week of May, the maple tree had got a fine collection of nice green leaves, and the darkish jumble on the closer fruit tree I had thought were old dead leaves turned out to be new leaves.

On Monday the 13th, rather than having the bad luck normally called for on that day, we saw the fruit tree was not only covered with the new puce leaves, but also bright buds. And some were opening!

At this point, the changes accelerated. The morning of May 15th saw the tree fully breaking into bloom.

By late afternoon, people were stopping along the sidewalk to photograph the tree. By evening, I was too.

Photographs don’t do it full justice. That tree is downright spectacular! Based on a similar tree we saw at the botanical garden, we think it’s a Japanese crabapple (Malus floribunda).