Woody > Crataegus > Crataegus crusgalli > Crataegus crusgalli
Crataegus crusgalli
Cockspur Hawthorn
Mike's
Opinion
"
One of my favourite trees in its native habitat, the low masses of dull grey, densely packed trees along high river edges typifies the Ontario rural landscape. A spectacular tree when in flower, but otherwise in the cultured landscape, a tall individual.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Rosaceae |
| Genus |
| Crataegus |
| Species |
| crusgalli |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4–7 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 3–8 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -26 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -15 |
| Height |
| 4.5–9 m |
| Spread |
| 3.5–9 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Dark red flowers are produced in the spring and dark green leaves turn purplish red in the autumn. Red fruit is produced and lasts into the winter months. |
| Cultivation |
| Grows best in full sun or partial shade in well drained soils. Can adapt well to urban conditions. Suckers will come up frequently; remove them. |
| Shape |
| As broad as it is high, often flat topped. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| This tree is easy to identify because of the 5 cm long thorns that grow on the branches. Dark green foliage in summer, purple-red in autumn. Very dense large shrub or small tree. |
| Pests |
| Fireblight, leaf blight, rusts, borers, caterpillars, canker, powdery mildew, scab and fungal leaf spot are a possibility. |
| Habitat |
| Often found on fast draining river edge or dry upland areas. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Rough scaly and has many 5 cm long sharp thorns. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Small 0.5 cm oblong buds with 6 exposed fleshy red scales. |
| Leaf Description |
| Medium sized dark green leaves that turn red in the autumn. Strongly obovate, 7.5 cm long. |
| Flower Description |
| Dark red flower, blooms in the spring, 5 cm wide, similar to the flower of a rose bush. Blooms for about 2 weeks. |
| Fruit Description |
| Red apple like fruit ripening in the autumn and persisting until early winter. They are edible but contain many seeds and are dry. 0.5-1 cm in size in a corymb. |
| Texture Description |
| A medium textured plant in leaf but fine textured in winter. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The Gardens of Fanshawe College, London, Ontario. |
| Propagation |
| Hawthorns can be grown from seed but could take up to 20 years to flower. A more expedient way of propagation is grafting a stem cutting to a seedling rootstock. |
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