The red buds of Ralph Shay crabapple open to white flowers that are followed by red fruit about 1¼ inches in diameter. The fruit persist into late winter. This cultivar is reported to have good disease resistance by the University of Illinois Extension.

Crabapples are small flowering trees that provide a showy display in the spring landscape for 1 to 2 weeks. In addition to the eye-catching buds and flowers, their foliage, habit, and fruit make them attractive plants almost year round. They are actively hybridized for flower color, leaf color, fruit size/color, shape and, most importantly, disease resistance. Crabapple fruits are usually not eaten by humans but are loved by birds.