Purple Spire Crabapple

Purple Spire ®
Columnar Crabapple
Malus x ‘Jefspire’
An outstanding compact, columnar crabapple with purple-green foliage, good disease
resistance, sparse pink flowers in spring and purple fruit in fall. Purple foliage colour is
especially intense in fall.
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Botanical Name: Malus x ‘Jefspire’
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Family: Rosaceae
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Common Name: Purple Spire ® Columnar Crabapple
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Origin: A seedling from the controlled cross Wijcik x Thunderchild made by Dr.
David Lane of the Summerland Research Station. T6 (now called Purple
Spire) was selected in 1999 by Jeffries Nurseries Ltd. Purple Spire is a
co-release between Bylands and Jeffries Nurseries Ltd.
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Hardiness: Zone 3 (Canadian and USDA)
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Growth Rate: A slow-growing small tree. Mature size of 15’ (5 m) x 6’ (2 m).
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Description: Purple Spire has a columnar tree form, and grows slowly compared to
the Rosybloom cultivars currently on the market today. It produces a
low number of flowers and few fruit. Its purple foliage is outstanding
from mid-summer to the end of the growing season.
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Culture: Grows best in full sunlight or partial shade. Prefers well drained,
medium textured soils with adequate moisture.
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Pest and Disease: No specific problems. Moderate foliar resistance to apple scab.
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Landscape Value:
The most notable characteristics of Purple Spire are its purple foliage
and columnar habit. It serves as an ideal accent tree or privacy screen.
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Propagation: Budding on Crabapple.
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Sales Potential:
Purple Spire Crabapple is a significant addition to the prairie landscape.
It has shown good winter hardiness and solid disease resistance in
Manitoba for the last 10 years.
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Production: Propagation of Purple Spire is not open to other growers at the present
time. JNL Royalty of $1.50 per plant.
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For additional information about Purple Spire ® Crabapple, contact Jeffries Nurseries:
P.O. Box 402, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, R1N 3B7, Canada
Phone: (204) 857-5288 Fax: (204) 857-2877 www.jeffriesnurseries.com
www.jeffriesnurseries.com
© Jeffries Nurseries Ltd., 2012
Purple Spire ® Crabapple
Malus x ‘Jefspire’

PURPLE SPIRE ®
Limited flower
and fruit
production
Deep purple
foliage from
mid-summer
to leaf drop
Winter habit
Spring foliage
Purple Spire ® offers a unique columnar growth habit for flowering
crabapples in today’s compact landscapes. This exciting cultivar also features
outstanding deep purple foliage from mid-summer to leaf drop in the fall.
A durable and colourful privacy screen!