Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Birch Leaf Spirea - TreeTime.ca

Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Birch Leaf Spirea

Malus x adstringens Thunderchild

Spiraea betulifolia

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Thunderchild Flowering Crab
Birch Leaf Spirea

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.

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

Thunderchild Flowering Crab Quick Facts

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: none


Foliage: dark purple leaves
Fall colour: dark red
Flowers: dark pink blossoms
Fruit: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Berries: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea