Abstract:

【Objective】The aim of this study is to provide plant materials for greening and beautification of urban and rural areas in China.【Method】The new crabapple cultivar ‘Hong Xier’ was selected from the descendants of radiation mutagenesis from Malus hupehensis ‘Pingyi Tiancha’, with the breeding process starting in 1996. 【Result】The branching pattern is patulous. ‘Hong Xier’ provides a large number of fruit and flowers. It has white petals and blossom-buds with green leaves. The fruit is spherical and has a diameter of 1.9 cm (female parent 1.3 cm), and the color turns from green to red and shiny (RHS 46A). The sarcocarp color is yellow or orange. The cultivar blooms from mid to late April in Qingdao and the leaves fall from mid to late November. The ornamental period for the fruit is from mid-October until mid or late December. 【Conclusion】The new cultivar has strong adaptability and a high ornamental value, which can be applied in the context of landscaping.

Key words: ormamental crabapple(Malus), mutation breeding, cultivar, Malus hupehensis ‘Hong Xier’