| General Description | A small, deciduous tree with white flower clusters in the spring and red pome like fruit throughout the summer. It has deeply lobed, dark green leaves which turn a red colour in the fall. This tree provides
winter interest through its textured grey bark, making a great addition to the everyday landscape. |
| ID Characteristic | The Chinese Hawthorn has dark green, deeply lobed leaves. Smelly white flowers bloom in the early spring, and as the season progresses the odour becomes more pleasant. Medium pome like fruits, which are red in colour. The bark appears a grey colour, and as the tree or shrub matures the bark will break into scales. |
| Shape | Upright, multi-stemmed, fairly rounded. |
| Landscape | The Chinese Hawthorn is an ordinary looking tree with minimal abstract features. The dark oak-like leaves contrast well with the pome like fruit, creating a very simple looking tree. Although the Chinese
Hawthorn may be the star in the everyday landscape, there are a vast amount of medicinal and recreational uses. The fruit is believed to have been used to treat indigestion and heart tingling. The pome like fruit is also used in the everyday Chinese cuisine, which makes for a useful crop. This Hawthorn brings an elegant winter interest through its coloured and textured bark, adding some depth to a winter garden. It is also quite forgiving when it comes down to seed propagation and general maintenance. |
| Propagation | The main method for propagation is by seed. When planting by seed, be sure to store the seed in the original packing in the refrigerator until it is time to plant, ideally in the fall. The germination process
may take up to 18 months, to the next spring, in even moisture within a coldframe. Avoid temperatures below -5 C. When ready to plant, the seed will grow in good soil in full sun. You may also speed up the germination process by fermenting the seed in its own fruit pulp for a few days. |
| Cultivation | The Chinese Hawthorn prefers partial shade to full sun. It prefers moist to wet soils, and can tolerate acidic to slightly alkaline soil. Best time to use a slow-release fertilizer is during the early spring, and it is ideal to prune dead/dying branches in the middle of fall. The tree is also wind, pollution, fire and drought tolerant. |
| Pests | Members of the Crataegus genus are susceptible to cedar-hawthorn rust, quince rust and fire blight. They are prone to leaf spot, apple scab, and powdering mildew, and will attract aphids, borers, leaf miners, lace bugs, spider mites, and scales. |
| Habitat | Crataegus are susceptible to cedar-hawthorn rust, quince rust and fire blight. They are prone to leaf spot, apple scab, and powdering mildew, and will attract aphids, borers, leaf miners, lace bugs, spider mites, and
scales. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Chinese Hawthorn is multi-Stemmed with rounded, smooth and zig zag shaped stems. The bark is a light grey colour with an irregular plate shape. Old bark will form into narrow scales as it begins to wear down. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Average sized leaf buds cover the tree in autumn. Leaf buds appear a lime green colour at the base with red tips. Flower buds have a lime green base with a white tip and will cover the tree in the autumn. |
| Leaf Description | Glabrous, greenish leaves, which will turn a reddish burgundy colour in the fall. The leaves have a simple ovate shape, 5-9 deep lobes with an alternate arrangement. The leaf size varies from 7.2cm - 15.2cm. |
| Flower Description | Flowers are white in colour with an unpleasant odour during spring bloom and lovely fragrance in late spring to early summer. They have a corymb inflorescence, creating a cup shape. Flowers vary in size, often smaller than 2.5 cm in 7.6 cm clusters. |
| Fruit Description | The Chinese Hawthorn has pome like fruit, with a reddish burgundy colour. The fruit size rarely exceeds 2.5 cm in diameter. They are edible raw as well as cooked and have an acidic, bitter taste. |
| Colour Description | Chinese Hawthorn has a lacklustre fall colour, appearing a dull reddish burgundy. The spring and Summer foliage is a dark green, which contrasts nicely with the white flowers and follows with the more vibrant
red fruit. The grey bark adds some winter interest as it brings mild colour through the winter season. |
| Texture Description | Medium. With age the bark will begin to break into narrow scales, amplifying winter interest. |