Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat - TreeTime.ca

Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat

Malus x adstringens Thunderchild

Eriogonum umbellatum

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Thunderchild Flowering Crab
Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat

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.

Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat is a native perennial wildflower known for its dense clusters of cream to yellow flowers. The long-lasting blooms persist from late spring into summer, providing an extended nectar source for a variety of pollinators. The flower buds are often red-tinted before opening. As the blooms age, they shift to orange or red, adding seasonal interest and making them well-suited to dried flower arrangements. Its seeds are also eaten by birds, adding to its ecological value.

Depending on climate and conditions, Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat may be evergreen to semi-evergreen, or its foliage may turn red during fall. Its deep roots and spreading growth stabilize rocky or sandy soils, making it useful for erosion control. Exceptionally hardy once established, it requires little care and thrives in challenging environments, making it an excellent choice for pollinator gardens, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects.

Thunderchild Flowering Crab Quick Facts

Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright to spreading, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: none


Foliage: dark purple leaves
Foliage: leathery
Fall colour: dark red
Fall colour: reddish bronze
Flowers: dark pink blossoms
Flowers: colour varies, typically white to yellow
Bloom time: mid spring to mid 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
Other Names: sulphur buckwheat, sulphur flower, wild buckwheat