Thunderchild Flowering Crabapple

Thunderchild is an upright, spreading crabapple with single pink spring flowers, purple foliage, and small purple fruit that does not persist. Alberta’s Prairie trial report identifies P. Wright of Saskatoon as the selection source and describes orange-yellow fall color and very strong fireblight resistance; Colorado State University Extension also lists this cultivar for mountain gardens. ## Placement Choose full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Alberta’s trial guide cautions that it does not tolerate alkaline soil, so check site conditions before planting. [Virginia Tech’s flowering crabapple guide](https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/3010/3010-1483/3010-1483.html) discusses the range of sizes and forms found across flowering crabapples. ## Maintenance If pruning is needed, do it soon after flowering so you do not remove the next spring’s flower buds. Remove any rootstock suckers if they appear, and account for seasonal fruit fall near paving.