Is my crabapple tree dead? It is, isn't it?

[SPedigrees]

This may not be anything you done wrong. The pictured flowering crab apple tree looks to be healthy in 2020 and is of good size. So I would say it was happy and didn't drown where you planted it.

However generally speaking non grafted crab apples are short liveed 10 to 15 years and they die back. But they do root sucker profusely. Keep an eye out this spring for sprouting root suckers.

Since it's a crab apple it's most likely not grafted, and is most likely on its own roots (commonly called a root cutting). Select a root sucker to grow into a new tree. I would leave it in place to grow into a new tree. You can dig and transplant the other suckers or cut them off at ground level if you don't want any more crab apple trees.

Mother Nature killed my tree; I had nothing to do with it!

My state suffered serious and unprecedented flooding this past summer. Farmers lost their crops, houses and businesses were destroyed and washed away. The state was declared a federal disaster area, and I feel very fortunate that my only loss was a single tree. It rained constantly for an entire month. My couple acres of open mowed land were squishy when you walked on it, and my tree's roots were submerged in water for the entire month of august. It literally drowned.

Most ornamental crabapple trees are not grafted, as you suggested, but this was a 'profusion' variety whose semi-weeping character was the result of grafting. Thus I was aware that if I did not keep the suckers cut, it would revert to a non-weeping form. That was then, but now it and its suckers have gone to that great orchard in the sky.

 

[SPedigrees]

After you take it down, plant forget-me-nots. They love wet feet,

Thanks, that's a good suggestion. I may do so. In the same vein, I ordered a water-loving Joe Pyeweed plant from Bluestone Perennials that will arrive in Spring. That spot is fit only for aquatic plantlife! With the warnings of continuing adverse weather events, it may flood again, but the willows (which share this spot) will be fine at least.

 

[Zeedman]

The "Dolgo" crab planted 3 years ago is finally beginning to bear in respectable numbers. It looked more impressive before deer snatched (snacked") all the low-hanging fruit.

Crab apple "Dolgo". These (along with the crab apples from another tree elsewhere) will be cooked for jelly.

OK, this isn't a crab apple; but the volunteer apple I've named "Elena's Hope" did amazingly well this year... better than the original tree it suckered from! Decent size, and many unblemished. Wish I'd taken a photo before the deer, squirrels, and Grandson picked them over. A banner year for apples this year...

... but a lot of mature ornamental crab apple trees in my area are suddenly shedding their bark & dying. No sign of borers under the bark - presumably disease?

 

[flowerbug]

... but a lot of mature ornamental crab apple trees in my area are suddenly shedding their bark & dying. No sign of borers under the bark - presumably disease?

beautiful tree wish i had one here! neighbor has one up the road from us but i don't know if he picks them or has someone else picking them or what and really no time at the moment to even ask as i sure do not need any more projects.

sorry to hear about the crabapple trees dying. it may be accumulated stress from droughts or just old age if many of them were planted at about the same time they may be reaching the end of their lifespan.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Check with your extension service in your area. Could be a fungus, too much or to little water or hot sun hitting the trunk and soil drying out in extreme summer heat conditions , or root bound.

Crabapple tree trunk fungus - Ask Extension

I have bark peeling off my crabapple tree which is approximately three years old. There is evidence of fungus on the bark. I treated with copper fun...

ask2.extension.org

 

[ducks4you]

The "Dolgo" crab planted 3 years ago is finally beginning to bear in respectable numbers. It looked more impressive before deer snatched (snacked") all the low-hanging fruit.
View attachment 69604
Crab apple "Dolgo". These (along with the crab apples from another tree elsewhere) will be cooked for jelly.

OK, this isn't a crab apple; but the volunteer apple I've named "Elena's Hope" did amazingly well this year... better than the original tree it suckered from! Decent size, and many unblemished. Wish I'd taken a photo before the deer, squirrels, and Grandson picked them over. A banner year for apples this year...

... but a lot of mature ornamental crab apple trees in my area are suddenly shedding their bark & dying. No sign of borers under the bark - presumably disease?

Have you had cyclical drought? We have and the experts here in Central IL are blaming tree deaths on recurring drought.
I lost one of my Mortmorency Cherries last winter and the surviving one dropped almost all of it's leaves this August. I put a soaker hose on it and I have used my cistern water to water it about 5 times, 1 hr each. It sprouted next year's leaves at the tips and some flowers, but both of them must not be in a good place to get water. My 2 Johnagold apple trees, 20 ft west of the cherry, haven't dropped any leaves yet, and the "red" (??? we just don't know what kind it is) apple tree that recovered and grew a lot of fruit this year hasn't lost It's leaves yet, also 20 ft west of the cherry.
My new peach tree, 100 ft ESE of the cherry has doubled in size this year, planted last Fall, and it hasn't lost a single leaf.
I intend to eke out the time this Fall to heavily mulch my cherry and I will dump snow along the drip line this winter, if we have any. I put my oldest drip hose around it so I won't cry if I leave it out over the winter.
Crabapples are the best for cross pollinating ANY apple tree, so they are well worth cultivating and saving.
ALSO, I haven't seen a fruit tree do this, but I have saved two maples on my property that had girdling roots. I simply cut the circling root with my reciprocating saw and solved the problem. They do this when there is lack of water, too.
This is NOT my tree, but this is what girdling roots look like: