Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Canada Plum - TreeTime.ca

Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Canada Plum

Malus x adstringens Thunderchild

Prunus nigra

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Thunderchild Flowering Crab
Canada Plum

Thunderchild Flowering Crab is a hybrid crab apple known for its attractive and fragrant dark pink blossoms and deep purple mature leaves.

Tree farmers will find this hybrid appealing as a pollinator for other apples, while home growers will enjoy the red pome's ability to attract flocks of Cedar Waxwings in the early spring.

This species is reportedly resistant to fireblight.

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Thunderchild Flowering Crab Quick Facts

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2b
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: high


Foliage: dark purple leaves
Fall colour: dark red
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: dark pink blossoms
Flowers: white
Fruit: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Berries: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum