Guest Article for the Tallahassee Democrat
May 15, 2015,
By Stan Rosenthal
A beautiful group of native trees that our often overlooked for our yards and wooded areas are the hawthorn trees. These smaller trees are adorned with showy flowers and fruits that are a delight to both wildlife and humans.
The hawthorns which are also commonly referred to as haw trees are from the genus Crataegus. Crataegus is the largest genus of woody plants in North America. They are generally dense shrubs or small trees (up to 25 feet) that are usually armed with thorns. The thorns can measure in length from ½ to 6 inches long. Thus it is good that you plant one of these where the thorns will not be a problem.
Blooming in spring, this genus which belongs in the family Rosaceae (Rose family) has flowers that come in many colors including, white, red, yellow, pink and purplish-red. The flowers are important for many nectar-feeding insects. Hawthorns are also used as food plants by many butterfly larva.
The haws are native to many growing environments including swamps, sandhills, pond margins, abandoned pastures and rich hardwood forest understories. Most will tolerate semi-shade but will give you much better flowering and fruiting in full sun.
Another fun part of these trees is their fruit. Technically the fruit is known as a pome. Apple tree fruits are also pomes. In the fall, the colorful fruits decorate the tree with scarlet, orange-red and russet colors. The fruits are popular with many species of wildlife and some species are popular for making preserves and jellies. The May hawthorn, mayhaw or apple hawthorn (Crataegus aestivalis) is the best know hawthorn fruit know for human consumption. It is commercially marketed. If you plant a mayhaw it usually takes 5 – 8 years before the trees will start bearing fruit. The fruit can also be dried for later use. Like an apple, there are seeds in the center of the fruit, the seeds often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed.
Like most sharp things, the thorns can be helpful or harmful as they provide great cover for nesting birds.
So if you are looking for a colorful but unusual plant for your landscape, you may want to consider a hawthorn.
Stan Rosenthal is an Extension Agent with Leon County/University of Florida IFAS Extension. For gardening questions, email us at Ask-A-Mastergardener@leoncountyfl.gov
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