Crabapple Red Sentinel - fruits still on tree in April

Hi everyone

I have a beautiful Red Sentinel that I planted late 2021. It's very healthy and is growing well, but the fruits don't ever seem to fall. At the moment it's in flower, but last year's fruits are still rotting on the branches. I used to cut them off but soon the tree will be too big for me to do that.

Does anyone know why they don't fall - it is normal for red sentinel? I know they're "persistent", but this seems extreme haha. And has does anyone else who has one of these find their local birds enjoy the fruits? I planted it for the birds but none of them are interested!

 

It does seem to be one of the less attractive features of crab apples. I would think that the birds avoid the fruit because it's sour?

 

Thanks for the reply. Do you mean that red sentinel fruits are sour, or just the fruits that sit on the tree for too long? Either way, it's a shame. It's such a beautiful tree, but not when it's covered in rotten fruits!

 

Crab apple fruit in general is sour. High in pectin which is what makes them good for jelly-making. The only solutions I can offer are to shake the tree occasionally or invest in a long-arm pruner and snip the old fruits off.

 

Your Red Sentinel is behaving perfectly normally.

 

ok, thanks @Goldenlily26 & @noisette47!

 

A group of friends and myself had a Red Sentinel planted as a memorial tree for a friend who died. The description said everything you have commented on, including that it holds the fruit all winter. If you leave it the new growth will push the old fruit from the branches, unless you pick the fruit to make Crab Apple Jelly.