This small ornamental crabapple was introduced to the trade in 1947 by Carl Sax. It is considered his finest crabapple introduction. It developed as a triploid... allowing it to breed true from open pollinated seed. The tree was named to honor the daughter of Charles Sargent, first Director of the Arnold Arboretum.
'Mary Potter' is a beautiful crabapple that grows 6-8 feet wide and spreads to as much as 18 feet. Pink buds open to snow white blooms that develop into purple red fruits that are persistent. That is, they stay on the tree into winter... providing food for birds.
Father John Fiala, in Flowering Crabapples, The Genus Malus... notes that 'Mary Potter' deserves to be grown more as a specimen tree. It has a very attractive form, white blooms and red fruit smother the tree with color in spring and again in fall, the fall color is a good, clear yellow and the silhouette of the tree in winter is striking and handsome.

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