Hello, I know this is a long time ago that you posted this, but I want to say THANK YOU for posting this! I live in Ontario and want trees along a fence line that provide spring & fall interest, I know serviceberry trees are native here and would do well in their eventual home in our yard, which has clay, moist soil (hard to find low-maintenance shrubs that will grow in the soil conditions, plus we're zone 4, plus I'm just learning how to "be" a gardener/homeowner...) Anyway, I was going to plant serviceberry shrubs in 4 large containers (25" x 25" resin Suncast planters) I have on our patio, let them grow a bit for a year or two, then plant them once they were big enough to earn the respect/space of the lawn care crew out back... If I wait until November/December and then drag the pots into the garage until the frigid temps have passed... I know I could also line the pots with insulation (have a can of spray foam insulation I may use to cover the inside with an inch layer or so, like putting icing on a cake, but on the inside of the pot?... anyway, I'm sorry you didn't get many replies, I'm glad to see your plant did flower with some more space. If it is still in a container, or if you were able to transplant it into your yard, I would love an update to see how it was doing, many years later! I think the stories of saving little seedlings and letting them do their thing are great stories. Anyone can buy beautiful shrubs from a nursery, but little sentimental stories like this are why I enjoy gardening. Cheers!

I actually was doing a search for this same question on my crabapple tree. We purchased a second place as a get-away in the woods but love it so much we are here as much as possbile. Last year my crabapple blossomed beautifully and I had the largest, most abundant crop of crabapples. This year not a single blossom. The year before last (2007) I did not get any fruit but we had a late freeze which I thought might have killed the flowers. Since we are not here all of the time it is a little bit hard to track. I do keep a journal of my plants, shrubs and trees but since it is only as up to date as the times that I am here, it is not quite as dependable as wendyb. However, what I do have, when I finally thought of going back the 6 years we have owned the place is that it "seems like" it blooms and produces fruit every other year. This tree was fully mature when we moved in. It is otherwise healthy and growing well. So, my assumption is that this is normal for whatever type of crabapple that I have. Has anyone else seen this type of behavior in crabapples?

I think the week sounds about right for mine also. My big oak shades the little guy till afternoon but then noon till six ish now and in the spring the serviceberry mostly gets sun. The foliage on mine is at least "B" quality. A little bug damage but no crispyness and it has been HOT AND DRY here for a bit again. Really with supplemental water it looked fine last year too.

Ahhh don't kick it to the curb...it may just be stressed at the roots and doesn't bloom yet until the stress period is over. Some trees have a hard time getting their roots established so give it a year or two more and then find it a new home in an unassuming place on your property if you aren't happy with it. It will still do it's part to clean the air even if it never blooms (though I can't imagine it never blooming). Barb