Raspberry Spear Crabapple

Raspberry Spear® is the purple-foliage member of J. Frank Schmidt's Spear™ family — combining the family's signature narrow columnar form (8 ft spread) with deep purple foliage and magenta pink flowers. For PNW landscapes wanting purple foliage in a narrow columnar form, Raspberry Spear has no direct competitor in commerce. Disease resistance is rated Excellent across all four major diseases per JFS — substantially better than older purple-foliage cultivars like ‘Perfect Purple’ (Fair scab, Fair fire blight). The orange fall color is uncommon among purple-foliage crabapples and adds genuine fall interest. Cross-reference with broader-form purple alternatives: ‘Purple Prince’ (20 × 20 ft rounded form, similar disease resistance) or 'Royal Raindrops®' (15-20 ft cutleaf foliage). Choose Raspberry Spear when narrow vertical form is required; choose Purple Prince for full rounded specimen scale; choose Royal Raindrops for finer cutleaf foliage texture. Cross-reference with ‘Purple Prince’ (rounded 20 × 20 ft purple alternative) and 'Royal Raindrops®' (cutleaf purple alternative).

— Chris Welch, ISA Certified Arborist