Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Marsh Cinquefoil - TreeTime.ca

Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Marsh Cinquefoil

Comarum palustre

Malus x adstringens Thunderchild

CUSTOM GROW

Marsh Cinquefoil
Thunderchild Flowering Crab

Marsh Cinquefoil is a native perennial wetland plant with striking reddish-purple, star-shaped flowers. They bloom in early to mid-summer, providing nectar for bees, flies, and other pollinators. Beyond its summer blooms, the foliage turns red in autumn, adding seasonal interest to wetland landscapes.

Common in wetlands, pond margins, and wet meadows, Marsh Cinquefoil spreads by rhizomes to form colonies or patches that contribute to shoreline stabilization. It thrives in nutrient-poor, saturated soils where many other plants struggle, making it valuable in challenging wetland conditions. With its ecological function and ornamental appeal, it is well-suited for wetland plantings, ecological restoration, and naturalized projects.

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.

Marsh Cinquefoil Quick Facts

Thunderchild Flowering Crab Quick Facts

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Zone: 1b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: ascending to upright
Spreading: seeds - medium, rhizomes - medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: dark purple leaves
Fall colour: dark red
Flowers: dark red/maroon, star-shaped
Flowers: dark pink blossoms
Bloom time: summer
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


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: marsh five fingers, purple cinquefoil, purple marshlocks