Hawthorns are small, deciduous trees. Most hawthorns are armed. Leaves are alternately arranged with toothed or lobed margins. Flowers are perfect and often showy. Fruit is a pome. These trees are difficult to identify at any time, but especially so in the winter. Those listed here are but a few of the more common hawthorns found in Ohio.
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Petioles are 1 inch (21/2 cm) long or longer and usually slender. |
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| A. | Leaves are medium green, 2—4 inches (5—10 cm) long, and densely pubescent beneath. Leaf margins are sharply double-toothed and often slightly lobed. Flowers are white and bloom in April. Scarlet fruit ripens in August or September. | |||
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Crataegus mollis–Downy Hawthorn |
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Leaves are glabrous or nearly so beneath. |
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Glossy leaves are toothed and without short lobes. Leaves are 2—31/4 inches (5—81/2 cm) long, broad, elliptic to obovate in shape with acute to short aciminate leaf tips. Leaf margins are coarsely and doubly serrate. Flowers open in May, followed by red fruit that ripens in October or November. |
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Crataegus succulenta–Fleshy Hawthorn |
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Leaves have four to five pairs of short, acute lobes. Lobes are usually doubly toothed. |
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Thorns are stout and straight. Leaves are 11/4—2 inches (3—5 cm) long and elliptic or ovate in shape. Leaves are red when unfolding, then become bluish-green. Flowers are white and are borne in May. Fruit is dark purple when it ripens in October. |
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| Crataegus pruinosa–Frosted Hawthorn | ||||
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Thorns are long and curved. Leaves are 3/4—21/4 inches (2—53/4 cm) long and elliptic ovate in shape. Leaf tips are acute. Leaves have three to four pairs of short lobes with doubly toothed margins. Flowers are white and borne in May. Fruit is reddish-brown and ripens in October. |
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| Crataegus intricata–Thicket Hawthorn | ||||
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Petioles are usually short. |
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Leaves are obovate to oblong obovate in shape, usually somewhat clustered, and borne erect above the twigs. Foliage is 3/4—31/4 inches (2—81/2 cm) long and shiny green and leathery. Thorns are numerous, slender, falcate, and borne on rigid twigs. Flowers are white and borne in May to June. Fruit is dull red and ripens in October and November. |
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Crataegus crus-galli–Cockspur Hawthorn |
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Leaves are 2—4 inches (5—10 cm) long with an obovate outline. Leaf margins are irregularly toothed. Leaves on vigorous shoots are slightly lobed above the middle and dull green in color. Thorns are short and stout. Flowers are white and borne in May to June. Fruit is dull red, dotted, and ripens in October. |
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Crataegus punctata–Dotted Hawthorn |
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Cockspur Hawthorn–Crataegus crus-galli
One of the most common of the Crataegus is the cockspur hawthorn. Usually a small tree or large shrub, cockspur hawthorn is often foliaged to the ground. Branches are widespreading and borne horizontally. This tree is commonly used for screening where the thorns are not a liability. The foliage is glossy through the growing season. The tree is as wide as it is tall.
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| Cockspur Hawthorn | |||
Leaves are short-petioled, not lobed, and obovate, or spatulate, in outline. Foliage is deep, glossy green and 3/4—31/4 inches (2—81/2 cm) long. Leaf tips are usually rounded with finely toothed margins. Leaves are usually somewhat clustered at the end of the twigs and borne erect. The leathery foliage is among the most attractive of all hawthorns. Fall color can be gold to scarlet, but is often not showy.
Thorns are large (up to 2 inches [5 cm]), stiff, and quite sharp. Thorns are numerous, falcate, and borne on rigid twigs. The points of the thorns point downward. Twigs are reddish-brown when young, becoming gray with age.
Flowers are white and borne in May to June. Fruit is a dull red with thin, dry flesh. Fruit is large (1/2 inch [13 mm] diameter) and falls in October or November. The dense branching attracts nesting birds all year and provides shelter, nesting, and food.
Thicket Hawthorn–Crataegus intricata
Thicket hawthorn is a small tree or shrub rarely over 10 feet in height. This, too, is a pioneer species and found in fence rows and abandoned fields. The tree is open and unattractive with irregular and spreading branches. Thorns are long and rather stout with curved tips.
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| Thicket Hawthorn | ||
Leaves are 3/4—21/4 inches (2—53/4 cm) long and elliptic-ovate in shape. Leaves have three to four pairs of short lobes with doubly serrate, or toothed, margins. The upper surface of the leaves is smooth, glossy, and a bright green color. The underside is pale green and nearly smooth. Leaf tips are acute.
Flowers are white and borne in May. Fruit is russet or reddish-brown to yellowish-green in color and of value as food for birds. Fruit ripens in October.
Downy Hawthorn–Crataegus mollis
Downy hawthorn is a small tree growing to a height of 15—20 feet with stout, spreading branches. Distribution is general over the state. Hawthorns are pioneer invaders and do not persist in the woodlands, as they are killed by the shade of larger, climax forest trees.
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| Downy Hawthorn |
The leaves are broad, elliptic to obovate in outline with acute or short, acuminate tips. Leaves are medium green when mature and lighter-colored beneath. Foliage is 2—4 inches (5—10 cm) long and densely pubescent beneath. Later in the season, the hairs are confined to the veins of the leaf. Leaf margins are sharply double-toothed and often slightly lobed. Leaves have four to five pairs of short, acute lobes. Petioles are 1—2 inches (21/2—5 cm) long and usually slender.
The spines are stout and 1—11/2 inches (25-38 mm) long. Flowers are white and bloom in April or May. The fruit is scarlet, 1/2 inch (13 mm) across, and pear-shaped. The pome matures in August or September and has a mealy, sweet pulp.
Frosted Hawthorn–Crataegus pruinosa
Frosted hawthorn is a small tree reaching heights of 10—20 feet. The branches are widespreading with numerous large, stout, and straight to slightly curved thorns. Frosted hawthorns are pioneer invaders and do not persist in the woodlands but are common in abandoned fields and fence rows, as are other hawthorns.
The leaves are 11/4—2 inches (3—5 cm) long, elliptic or ovate in outline, and taper to an acute leaf tip. Leaves generally have wedge-shaped bases. They have irregularly doubly toothed margins with four to five pairs of short, acute lobes. Leaves are red when unfolding and later become bluish-green above and paler and smooth beneath.
The white flowers are 1 inch (25 mm) across with pink stamens and anthers, giving the flowers a pinkish color. Flowers are borne in May. The fruit is apple green and smooth when nearly ripe, finally turning dark purple when fully ripe. A waxy bloom covers the fruit (pruinose) and gives the tree its scientific and common names. The yellow flesh is sweet when it matures in October.
Dotted Hawthorn–Crataegus punctata
A tree or large shrub growing 25—30 feet in height, the dotted hawthorn is found in open, abandoned pastures or in heavily grazed woodland areas. Branches are horizontal or spreading, and form a flat-topped tree. Thorns or spines are short and stout. The tree is not as heavily armed as most hawthorns. A thornless cultivar is available in the nursery trade and sold as ‘Ohio Pioneer.'
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| Dotted Hawthorn | |||
Leaves are 2—4 inches (5—10 cm) long and spatulate in outline. Young foliage is villous above and along veins beneath. Leaf margins are irregularly toothed. Leaves on vigorous shoots are slightly lobed above the middle and dull green in color. Twigs are grayish in color.
Flowers are white and borne in May or early June, after the foliage is expanded. Stamens are often pink. Fruit is deep yellow to dull red and conspicuously dotted. The fleshy fruit is somewhat edible, but drops soon after ripening in October. The fruit falls early enough to attract bees and yellow jackets in large numbers.
Fleshy Hawthorn–Crataegus succulenta
Fleshy hawthorn is a small tree growing to 15—20 feet tall. Hawthorns are pioneer invaders and do not persist in the woodlands. They are common in abandoned fields and fence rows. This tree is generally distributed over the state.
Leaves are glossy above but glabrous, or nearly so, beneath. Foliage is 2—31/4 inches (5—81/2 cm) long with doubly serrate margins without short lobes. The shape of the leaf is broad, elliptic to obovate, with acute or short, acuminate leaf tips. Leaves have hairs along the veins beneath the leaf.
Flowers are white and borne in May. The bright red fruit ripens in October or November. Fruit is 1/2 inch (13 mm) across and pulpy. The tree is too small to contain valuable wood.