Hawthorns (Trees of Eisenhower State Park)

Hawthorns

Crataegus

Summary ⁶

Crataegus (/krəˈtiːɡəs/; from the Greek kratos "strength" and akis "sharp", referring to the thorns of some species) commonly called hawthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, or hawberry, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name "hawthorn" was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe, especially t

Description ⁷

General: It is a shrub or small tree that grows to twenty feet high and eight inches DBH and sharply thorny. Leaves are broadest above the middle, shallowly lobed, serrate margin, and hairy. Flowers are white, generally in clusters of three to five. Fruits are broadest above the middle or rounded, brown to yellow in color.

Distribution: Yellowleaf hawthorn grows widely in the southeastern U.S., from Virginia to Florida. For current distribution, please consult the Plant profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.