Crabapple vs Persian silk tree

Crabapple and Persian silk tree are often considered for the same spot in the garden (specimen, flowers, pollinator friendly). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Crabapple

Malus Ornamental Group 4 m × 3 m after 10 years

A group of ornamental trees small enough for modest gardens: in April and May they are covered in white, pink or purple-red blossom, and in autumn…

Small tree

Full sun

from about PLN 58

Persian silk tree

Albizia julibrissin 5 m × 4 m after 10 years

A small tree with a wide, flat, umbrella-like crown, finely divided fern-like foliage and pink, silky pompom flowers in midsummer that bees and…

Small tree

Full sun

Key differences

Persian silk tree grows larger: 5 m × 4 m after ten years, against 4 m × 3 m for Crabapple (an estimate: sources differ).
Persian silk tree grows faster than Crabapple.
Crabapple is hardier: down to -34 °C, against -20 °C for Persian silk tree.
Persian silk tree tolerates drought better than Crabapple.
Persian silk tree needs less water than Crabapple.

Which one to choose?

Crabapple is the better choice if space is tight or the garden is cold or a frost pocket.

Persian silk tree is the better choice if you want quick results or you cannot water regularly.

Watch out for

Crabapple

Crabapples share the diseases of apple, and susceptibility varies widely between cultivars. Scab causes spotted leaves that drop by midsummer after a wet spring (purple-leaved Royalty, for example, is distinctly prone), and powdery mildew distorts the shoot tips. Fire blight is present in Central Europe too: flowers and shoot tips turn black and bend over like a hook; cut the affected part back well into healthy wood, and avoid pruning in spring. So choose a resistant cultivar. Aphids and spider mites can also be a nuisance. Many water shoots and rootstock suckers can come up from the base; remove them at their origin. On cultivars that drop their fruit, the apples rot on paving and lawn and attract wasps, so beside a terrace or parking space plant one that holds its fruit.

Persian silk tree

Its hardiness is borderline in Central Europe: young trees of one or two years and unripened shoots can be cut back at around -15 °C, and a hard winter kills branches on older trees too, so plant it in a sheltered spot and mulch the base for the first winters. The wood is brittle and breaks in wind, snow and ice, and the tree is short-lived. The albizia psyllid has arrived in the region, Hungary included, and disfigures the foliage with heavy sucking and sticky honeydew. In warm sites it seeds itself, and its thick surface roots can lift paving. Elsewhere fusarium wilt kills trees.

The data side by side

Feature	Crabapple	Persian silk tree
Group	Small tree	Small tree
Size after 10 years	4 m × 3 m (uncertain)	5 m × 4 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	2–9 m × 1–9 m (uncertain)	6–12 m × 6–15 m
Growth rate	Medium	Fast
Light	Full sun	Full sun
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic	Average garden soil, Sandy, Clay, Calcareous, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -34 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -20 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)
Heat tolerance	Medium (uncertain)	High
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	April–May, white, pink, red (uncertain)	June–September, pink (uncertain)
Water need	Medium	Low
Drought tolerance	Medium	High
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planting distance	500 cm	600 cm
For dogs	Toxic (uncertain)	Toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Toxic (uncertain)	no data
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)	no data
Typical price	approx. PLN 58	no data

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 17, 2026

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