Hallson Gardens

First of all, happy spring all!! I'm coming out of dormancy and happily digging around on the weekends. Woo-hoo!
I'll get right to it. I want to plant an ornamental tree to one side of the sidewalk leading to the front entrance of the house. At first I thought a RedBud tree would be perfect. Good size, nice blooms in spring, and with its natural umbrella shape I could trim it to arch over the sidewalk as it grew. But while shopping, I ran across flowering crabapple trees and like a certain one (I think it's Indian Magic) that has awesome pink blooms, bronze-y foliage, and faster, denser growth.
Which would be a better choice for the front lawn?
The Crabapple would have the added interest of the bronze leaves, but I don't know if it keeps that color all season, and it might make a mess with its fall fruit and might not arch over the sidewalk as easily.
The redbud would arch better and not hide the house as much with its loose, airy branching, but will just look like a typical green tree most of the season and the spring blooms aren't as impressive.
Okay, I'm asking for your collective experience, SO (as he settles back in his chair) amaze me with your knowledge!
Thanks!

Cap'n Tim

Hey Tim!
Two great choices. Pros and cons as I see them. Redbud is one of the first to bloom in the spring. That makes mine a fav with me. The grow just about anywhere except permanently wet sites. Fall color is almost always a nice yellow. Canker can be a problem, usually caused by trunk injury from mowers, etc. Select form ones grown in your area because they are regionaly sesative. aka If the seed comes from southern trees, they wont do well in the north and visa versa.
Crab apple blooms a little later. TONS of varieties to choose from. many with spectacular fall color. Without pruning, they tend to get a lot of straight, verticle "water shoot" growth on the branches.Tend to sucker from the trunk. Almost always grafted. The fruit of Indian Magic is considered Persisting. That means it usually hangs on till late winter or spring. By then the fruit is dried and not as messy. Some varieties have big time problems with blight, rust, canker.
Eithe one's a winner in my books.

My sister has Indian Magic and the birds always clean the fruit off for her.

Good to hear from you again, and good info to know, thanks guys! So the fruit can be scribbled off of the negative list. OED, I agree about the early blooming of the redbud, and it 's usually a fairly long bloom cycle since the colorful "buds" pop out first, then open a bit later. The crabapple has more attractive blooms, but I've also seen the water-shoot growth you mentioned in nearly all of the ones at which I've looked in the nurseries. The redbuds usually grow into a nice natural horizontal or "vase" shape. Most plants in my area that have any sensitivity to blight or mildew usually get it in spades, so that's something to consider. While I get roses and rare plants at the better nurseries, I usually buy trees and shrubs from places like Lowes or Mal-Wart, which are both supplied by a large growing nursery near Tulsa.
It's a tough choice, but I'm leaning toward the redbud.

The Timinator

I really like the crab trees over the redbuds around here, mostly because we have such a high rate of transplant failure on the redbuds. The established ones are hard to beat tho! 'Indian Magic' crabapple is very similar in color shape and form of the 'Prairiefire'. And both are very disease resistant varieties. The dark leave will take on more of a green cast during the summer, but not a lot. Both have a wonderful orangey red fall color. Either, or, I like em both! Don't forget flowering dogwoods either!

mooie

I love the flowering dogwoods, but they don't do well here unless planted in a densely shaded area and kept well watered.
The redbuds have a good transplant rate here, but they're a native tree, and I believe our state tree if I'm not mistaken. They may have a tougher time of it up north.
The darker leaf color of the crabapple is the main thing that has made me slow down and ponder it along with the redbud. If I end up getting the redbud for the front, I may still have to find a spot for a crabapple out back somewhere.

I say get both
I love both trees. I have a crabapple, fogot the name but it is REALLY pretty and had great fall color.
The redbut is one of my favs too, but sometimes the frost will get it before it has a chance to bloom.

I have Indian Magic and Prairifire. Prairifire is just stunning. The new growth is just starting to come out now, and the leaves are purple. They fade to green later in summer. The flowers are a lovely darker pink shade. Here's some pics of the fruit. (am I smart enough to have a photo of the flowers? Noooooo)

Nice pics, that's beautiful! There's not really a great spot in the back yard for another tree but that is tempting.

As per the dark leaf. There is a Redbud variety called 'Forest Pansy' that has beautiful, dark purple leaves in the spring. I've heard some say the color last most of the season, other's who say no. I'd also check and see how hardy it is for you. As far as dark leaves, there is also the Purple Leafed Plum, or Purple leafed Sand Cherry. The sand cherry is usually a shrub, but can be pruned into a small tree.

I actually planted a tree-trained sand cherry on the other side of the sidewalk last week. I had both it and the purple-leaved plum at my old house and really loved 'em! (you know, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with )
I thought about the plum tree for the other side (bigger and different shape for some contrast to the SC) but I'm having a hard time finding them this season... still a possibility though.
The Forst Pansy is awesome as well, only thing is... hard to find, kind of expensive when you find them, and a couple of the nurserymen here said they were "borderline" in our area.
Doris, does your Indian Magic have fruit on it like that in the winter? I do like the idea of some winter interest.
Ouch, ouch, ouch! My brain! You guys are really making me think!

Indian Magic has lots of fruit, too. It's a different color. This is a picture of it in fall, and the fruit has more of a orangy/yellow tint in winter.

Thanks for the pic and info Doris. I went back to pick up a tree today and they were pretty picked over already. I spotted a large, fairly well branched Profusion Crabapple. It has nice purple foliage and big two-toned red/pink blooms. I was told the fruit hangs on most of the winter. She's in the ground already and I'm anxious to see it spread and devellop.
Thank you guys for all the info and pics. It went in the ground just in time. It's pouring down rain all of a sudden! It ought to like that.