''Crataegus'' (), commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, Voss, E. G. 1985. ''Michigan Flora: A guide to the identification and occurrence of the native and naturalized seed-plants of the state. Part II: Dicots (Saururaceae–Cornaceae)''. Cranbrook Institute of Science and University of Michigan Herbarium, Ann Arbor, Michigan. May-tree,Graves, Robert. ''The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth'', 1948, amended and enlarged 1966, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. whitethorn, Mayflower, or hawberry, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of several hundred species of shrubs and

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Rosaceae,

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America. The name "hawthorn" was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe, especially the

common hawthorn ''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and West Asia, but has been introduced in ...

''C. monogyna'', and the unmodified name is often so used in Britain and Ireland. The name is now also applied to the entire genus and to the related Asian genus ''

Rhaphiolepis ''Rhaphiolepis'' ( or ;The first pronunciation is that expected for Anglo-Latin; the second is common in nurseries. ''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607. However, William T. Stearn in his book ''Botanical Latin'' says "Botanical Latin ...

''.

Etymology

The generic epithet, ''Crataegus'', is derived from the Greek "strength" because of the great strength of the wood and "sharp", referring to the thorns of some species. The name haw, originally an

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th c ...

term for hedge (from the Anglo-Saxon term , "a fence with thorns"), also applies to the fruit.

Description

''Crataegus'' species are shrubs or small

s, mostly growing to tall,Phipps, J.B., O'Kennon, R.J., Lance, R.W. (2003). ''Hawthorns and medlars''. Royal Horticultural Society, Cambridge, U.K. with small pome

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

and (usually) thorny branches. The most common type of bark is smooth grey in young individuals, developing shallow longitudinal fissures with narrow ridges in older trees. The

thorn Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to: Botany * Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants * ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species Comics and literature * Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...

s are small sharp-tipped branches that arise either from other branches or from the trunk, and are typically long (recorded as up to in one case). The leaves grow spirally arranged on

long shoot In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the spr ...

s, and in clusters on

spur shoot In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the spr ...

s on the branches or twigs. The leaves of most species have lobed or serrated margins and are somewhat variable in shape. The fruit, sometimes known as a "haw", is berry-like but structurally a pome containing from one to five

pyrenes Pyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) consisting of four fused benzene rings, resulting in a flat aromatic system. The chemical formula is . This yellow solid is the smallest peri-fused PAH (one where the rings are fused through mor ...

that resemble the "stones" of plums,

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...

es, etc., which are

drupaceous In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

fruit in the same subfamily.

Taxonomy

The number of

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the genus depends on taxonomic interpretation. Some botanists in the past recognised 1000 or more species, many of which are apomictic microspecies. A reasonable number is estimated to be 200 species. The genus likely first appeared in the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

, with the ancestral area likely being Eastern North America and in Europe, which at that time remained closely linked due to the North Atlantic

Land Bridge In biogeography, a land bridge is an isthmus or wider land connection between otherwise separate areas, over which animals and plants are able to cross and colonize new lands. A land bridge can be created by marine regression, in which sea leve ...

. The earliest known leaves of the genus from the Eocene of North America, with the earliest leaves from Europe being from the Oligocene. The genus is classified into sections which are further divided into series. Series ''Montaninsulae'' has not yet been assigned to a section. The sections are: * section'' Brevispinae'' * section ''Crataegus'' * section ''Coccineae'' * section ''Cuneatae'' * section ''Douglasia'' * section ''Hupehensis'' * section ''Macracanthae'' * section ''Sanguineae''

Selected species

*'' Crataegus aemula'' – Rome hawthorn *''

Crataegus aestivalis ''Crataegus aestivalis'', known as the eastern mayhaw, is a shrub or small tree of the southeastern United States that grows in low-lying or wet areas from eastern Alabama to central Florida and Virginia. It is one of several species of hawthor ...

'' – May hawthorn *''

Crataegus alabamensis ''Crataegus alabamensis'', the Alabama hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to the southeastern United States. It can be distinguished from other hawthorns by its "beautifully formed" leaves with pronounced Glo ...

'' – Alabama hawthorn *''

Crataegus altaica ''Crataegus altaica'' is a species of Crataegus, hawthorn. It is sometimes considered to be a synonym of Crataegus wattiana, ''C. wattiana''. ''Crataegus altaica'' var. ''villosa'' is considered to be a synonym of ''Crataegus maximowiczii''. See ...

'' – Altai hawthorn *''

Crataegus ambigua ''Crataegus ambigua'' is a species of thorn (hawthorn) native to Western Asia and Eastern Europe, including Armenia, Iran, Russia, and Turkey. It grows as a shrub or tree up to about 12 m in height. The fruit is dark red to purple or black, with ...

'' – Russian hawthorn *'' Crataegus ambitiosa'' – Grand Rapids hawthorn *'' Crataegus anamesa'' – Fort Bend hawthorn *'' Crataegus ancisa'' – Mississippi hawthorn *'' Crataegus annosa'' – Phoenix City hawthorn *'' Crataegus aprica'' – sunny hawthorn *'' Crataegus arborea'' – Montgomery hawthorn *''

Crataegus arcana ''Crataegus arcana'', the Carolina Hawthorn, is a rare and poorly known species of hawthorn in the rose family. It grows as a shrub or tree and is endemic to the eastern United States in North America. It is thought to be allied with series ''Pru ...

'' – Carolina hawthorn *''

Crataegus ater ''Crataegus ater'', known as the Nashville hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn that grows as a shrub or tree, native to the Great Lakes region of North America.Crataegus austromontana'' – valley head hawthorn *''

Crataegus azarolus ''Crataegus azarolus'' is a species of hawthorn known by the common names azarole, azerole, and Mediterranean medlar. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and is a common plant there, growing on sites comparable to those the European common ha ...

'' – Azarole hawthorn *'' Crataegus berberifolia'' – barberry hawthorn *'' Crataegus biltmoreana'' – Biltmore hawthorn *'' Crataegus boyntonii'' – stinking hawthorn *'' Crataegus brachyacantha'' – blueberry hawthorn *''

Crataegus brainerdii ''Crataegus brainerdii'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common name Brainerd's hawthorn. It is named for Ezra Brainerd (1844–1924), a renowned botanist and former president of Middlebury College, in Vermont. It ...

'' – Brainerd's hawthorn *'' Crataegus calpodendron'' – late hawthorn *''

Crataegus canbyi ''Crataegus canbyi'' is a hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrub ...

'' *'' Crataegus chlorosarca'' *'' Crataegus chrysocarpa'' – fireberry hawthorn *''

Crataegus coccinea ''Crataegus coccinea'', the scarlet hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn around which there is considerable confusion because the name has been misapplied for a long time. It has been shown to be the same as ''C. pedicellata'', and under the rules ...

'' – scarlet hawthorn *'' Crataegus coccinioides'' – Kansas hawthorn *'' Crataegus collina'' – hillside hawthorn *''

Crataegus crus-galli ''Crataegus crus-galli'' is a species of hawthorn known by the common names cockspur hawthorn and cockspur thorn. It is native to eastern North America from Ontario to Texas to Florida, and it is widely used in horticulture. It is thought to be th ...

'' – cockspur hawthorn *'' Crataegus cuneata'' – Japanese hawthorn *'' Crataegus cupulifera'' *'' Crataegus dahurica'' *'' Crataegus dilatata'' – broadleaf hawthorn, Apple-leaf hawthorn *''

Crataegus douglasii ''Crataegus douglasii'' is a North American species of hawthorn known by the common names black hawthorn and Douglas' thornapple. It is most abundant in the Pacific Northwest. Description ''Crataegus douglasii'' is a compact erect bushy shrub gr ...

'' – black hawthorn, Douglas hawthorn *'' Crataegus ellwangeriana'' *'' Crataegus erythropoda'' – cerro hawthorn *'' Crataegus flabellata'' – Gray's hawthorn, fanleaf hawthorn *'' Crataegus flava'' – yellow-fruited hawthorn *'' Crataegus fluviatilis'' *'' Crataegus fontanesiana'' *'' Crataegus greggiana'' – Gregg's hawthorn *'' Crataegus harbisonii'' – Harbison's hawthorn *'' Crataegus heldreichii'' *'' Crataegus heterophylla'' – various-leaved hawthorn *'' Crataegus holmesiana'' – Holmes' hawthorn *'' Crataegus hupehensis'' *'' Crataegus intricata'' – thicket hawthorn, intricate hawthorn *'' Crataegus iracunda'' – stolon–bearing hawthorn *'' Crataegus jackii'' *''

Crataegus jonesae ''Crataegus jonesae'' is a species of hawthorn native to New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is borde ...

'' *'' Crataegus kansuensis'' – Gansu hawthorn *'' Crataegus laevigata'' – Midland hawthorn, English hawthorn *''

Crataegus lassa ''Crataegus lassa'', the sandhill hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to the southeastern United States. Small trees or large shrubs, they have a characteristic weeping or drooping habit, and grow in pine barrens, the Carolina sandhills re ...

'' – sandhill hawthorn *'' Crataegus lepida'' *'' Crataegus macrosperma'' – big-fruit hawthorn *'' Crataegus marshallii'' – parsley-leaved hawthorn *''

Crataegus maximowiczii ''Crataegus maximowiczii'' is a species of hawthorn with fruit that are red to purple-black. See also * List of hawthorn species with black fruit References maximowiczii {{Crataegus-stub ...

'' *'' Crataegus mercerensis'' *'' Crataegus mexicana'' – tejocote, Mexican hawthorn *''

Crataegus mollis ''Crataegus mollis'', known as downy hawthorn or red hawthorn, is a species of plant that occurs in eastern North America from southeastern North Dakota east to Nova Scotia and southwest to eastern Texas. The range of this species is from souther ...

'' – downy hawthorn *''

Crataegus monogyna ''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and West Asia, but has been introduced in ...

'' – common hawthorn, oneseed hawthorn *'' Crataegus nigra'' – Hungarian hawthorn *'' Crataegus okanaganensis'' – Okanagan Valley hawthorn *'' Crataegus opaca'' – western mayhaw *''

Crataegus orientalis ''Crataegus orientalis'', known as oriental hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to the Mediterranean region, Turkey, Caucasia, Crimea, and western Iran, with fruits that are orange or various shades of red. This species is highly variable ...

'' – oriental hawthorn *'' Crataegus pedicellata'' – scarlet hawthorn *'' Crataegus pennsylvanica'' – Pennsylvania thorn *'' Crataegus pentagyna'' – small-flowered black hawthorn *'' Crataegus peregrina'' *'' Crataegus persimilis'' – plumleaf hawthorn *'' Crataegus phaenopyrum'' – Washington hawthorn *''

Crataegus phippsii ''Crataegus phippsii'' is a species of hawthorn native to south-central British Columbia, Washington state, and Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the w ...

'' *''

Crataegus pinnatifida ''Crataegus pinnatifida'', also known as mountain hawthorn, Chinese haw, Chinese hawthorn or Chinese hawberry, refers to a small to medium-sized tree, as well as the fruit of the tree. The fruit is bright red, in diameter. Use Culinary use In ...

'' – Chinese hawthorn *'' Crataegus populnea'' – poplar hawthorn *'' Crataegus pratensis'' – prairie hawthorn *'' Crataegus pruinosa'' – frosted hawthorn *'' Crataegus pulcherrima'' – beautiful hawthorn *''

Crataegus punctata ''Crataegus punctata'' is a species of hawthorn known by the common names dotted hawthorn or white haw that is native to most of the eastern United States and eastern Canada. While some sources claim it is the state flower of Missouri, the actual ...

'' – dotted hawthorn, white hawthorn: sometimes claimed as the state flower of

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, though the legislation does not specify a species *'' Crataegus purpurella'' – Loch Lomond hawthorn *'' Crataegus putnamiana'' *'' Crataegus pycnoloba'' *'' Crataegus reverchonii'' – Reverchon's hawthorn *''

Crataegus rhipidophylla ''Crataegus rhipidophylla'' is a species of hawthorn which occurs naturally from southern Scandinavia and the Baltic region to France, the Balkan Peninsula, Turkey, Caucasia, and Ukraine. It is poorly known as a landscape and garden plant, but se ...

'' *'' Crataegus rivularis'' – river hawthorn *'' Crataegus saligna'' – willow hawthorn *'' Crataegus sanguinea'' – redhaw hawthorn, Siberian hawthorn *'' Crataegus sargentii'' – Sargent's hawthorn *'' Crataegus scabrida'' – rough hawthorn *'' Crataegus scabrifolia'' *''

Crataegus songarica ''Crataegus songarica'' is an Asian species of hawthorn with black fruit that is sometimes used medicinally. It is closely related to ''Crataegus ambigua'', a species that has red fruit. Distribution and ecology The native range of the species ...

'' *'' Crataegus spathulata'' – littlehip hawthorn *''

Crataegus submollis ''Crataegus submollis'', known as the northern downy hawthorn, northern red haw, Quebec hawthorn, or hairy cockspurthorn, is a species of hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrub ...

'' – Quebec hawthorn *''

Crataegus succulenta ''Crataegus succulenta'' is a species of hawthorn known by the common names fleshy hawthorn, succulent hawthorn, and round-fruited cockspurthorn. It is "the most wide-ranging hawthorn in North America", native to much of southern Canada, and the U ...

'' – fleshy hawthorn *'' Crataegus tanacetifolia'' – tansy–leaved thorn *'' Crataegus texana'' – Texas hawthorn *'' Crataegus tracyi'' – Tracy hawthorn *'' Crataegus triflora'' – three-flowered hawthorn *'' Crataegus uniflora'' – one-flowered hawthorn, dwarf hawthorn *'' Crataegus viridis'' – green hawthorn, including cultivar 'Winter King' *'' Crataegus visenda'' *'' Crataegus vulsa'' – Alabama hawthorn *''

Crataegus wattiana ''Crataegus wattiana'', the Altai hawthorn, is an Asian species of hawthorn. The original description states that it has yellow fruit with five stones ( pyrenes). ''Crataegus wattiana'' var. ''wattiana'' has become naturalized in Seattle, in the ...

'' – Altai hawthorn *''

Crataegus wilsonii ''Crataegus wilsonii'' is a species of hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of ev ...

'' – Wilson hawthorn

Selected hybrids

* ''Crataegus'' × ''ariifolia'' (= ''C. ariaefolia'') * ''Crataegus'' × ''dsungarica'' * ''Crataegus'' × ''grignonensis'' – Grignon hawthorn, an unpublished name * ''Crataegus'' × ''lavalleei'' – Lavallée hawthorn, including ''Crataegus'' × ''carrierei'' * ''Crataegus'' × ''macrocarpa'' * ''Crataegus'' × ''media'' – the name for ''C. monogyna''–''C. laevigata'' hybrids * ''Crataegus'' × ''mordenensis'' – Morden hawthorn, including 'Toba' and 'Snowbird' * ''Crataegus'' × ''sinaica'' – ''za'rur'' * ''Crataegus'' × ''smithiana'' – red Mexican hawthorn, an unpublished name * ''Crataegus'' × ''vailiae''

Ecology

Hawthorns provide food and shelter for many species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s and mammals, and the

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are important for many nectar-feeding

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three ...

s. Hawthorns are also used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of a

large number Large numbers are numbers significantly larger than those typically used in everyday life (for instance in simple counting or in monetary transactions), appearing frequently in fields such as mathematics, cosmology, cryptography, and statistical m ...

of Lepidoptera

, such as the small eggar moth, '' E. lanestris''. Haws are important for

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

in winter, particularly

thrushes The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old World flyca ...

and

waxwing The waxwings are three species of passerine birds classified in the genus ''Bombycilla''. They are pinkish-brown and pale grey with distinctive smooth plumage in which many body feathers are not individually visible, a black and white eyestripe, ...

s; these birds eat the haws and disperse the

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s in their droppings.

Uses

Culinary use

The "haws" or fruits of the common hawthorn, ''C. monogyna'', are edible. In the United Kingdom, they are sometimes used to make a jelly or homemade wine.Wright, John (2010)
''Hedgerow: River Cottage Handbook''
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, (pp. 73–74) The leaves are edible, and if picked in spring when still young, are tender enough to be used in salads. The young leaves and flower buds, which are also edible, are known as "bread and cheese" in rural England. In the southern United States, fruits of three native species are collectively known as

mayhaw Mayhaw is the name given to the fruit of the species of ''Crataegus'' series ''Aestivales''Phipps, J.B.; O’Kennon, R.J.; Lance, R.W. 2003. ''Hawthorns and medlars''. Royal Horticultural Society, Cambridge, U.K. that are common in wetlands thro ...

s and are made into jellies which are considered a delicacy. The

Kutenai The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

people of northwestern North America used red and black hawthorn fruit for food. On

Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, some red-fruited species are called hawberries. During colonization, European settlers ate these fruits during the winter as the only remaining food supply. People born on the island are now called "

haweater Haweater is a designation given to a person born on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. The name derives from the prevalence of hawberries among the island's vegetation. Originally it was reported that early settlers got their vitamin C intake by eating ha ...

s". The fruits of '' Crataegus mexicana'' are known in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

as ''tejocotes'' and are eaten raw, cooked, or in jam during the winter. They are stuffed in the ''

piñata A piñata (, ) is a container, often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth, that is decorated, filled with candy, and then broken as part of a celebration. Piñatas are commonly associated with Mexico. The idea of breaking a container fille ...

s'' broken during the traditional pre-Christmas celebration known as ''

Las Posadas ''Las Posadas'' is a ''novenario'' (an extended devotional prayer). It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and by Latin Americans in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and ...

''. They are also cooked with other fruits to prepare a Christmas punch. The mixture of ''tejocote'' paste, sugar, and chili powder produces a popular Mexican candy called ''rielitos'', which is manufactured by several brands. The 4 cm fruits of the species ''

'' (Chinese hawthorn) are tart, bright red, and resemble small

crabapple ''Malus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 30–55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple, crab apples, wild apples, and rainberries. The genus is native to the temperate zone o ...

fruits. They are used to make many kinds of Chinese snacks, including

haw flakes Haw flakes () are Chinese sweets made from the fruit of the Chinese hawthorn. The pale/dark pink candy is usually formed into discs two millimeters thick, and packaged in cylindrical stacks with label art resemblant of Chinese fireworks. The sw ...

and being coated in sugar syrup and put on a stick ''

tanghulu Tanghulu () or ''Tang hulu'' (), also called ''bingtang hulu'' (), is a traditional Northern Chinese snack consisting of several rock sugar-coated fruits of Chinese hawthorn ('' Crataegus pinnatifida'') on a bamboo skewer. It is named for its ...

''. The fruits, which are called 山楂 ''shān zhā'' in Chinese, are also used to produce jams, jellies, juices, alcoholic beverages, and other drinks; these could in turn be used in other dishes (for instance, many older recipes for Cantonese sweet and sour sauce call for ''shānzhā'' jam). In

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

, a liquor called ''sansachun'' (산사춘) is made from the fruits. In

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, the fruits of ''Crataegus'' (including ''

'' var. ''aronia'', as well as other species) are known as ''zâlzâlak'' and eaten raw as a snack, or made into a jam known by the same name. The fruits of North America's '' Crataegus greggiana'' are made into preserves.

Research

A 2008

Cochrane Collaboration Cochrane (previously known as the Cochrane Collaboration) is a British international charitable organisation formed to organise medical research findings to facilitate evidence-based choices about health interventions involving health profess ...

meta-analysis A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies. Meta-analyses can be performed when there are multiple scientific studies addressing the same question, with each individual study reporting me ...

of previous studies concluded that evidence exists of "a significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes" for an extract of hawthorn used as an

adjuvant In pharmacology, an adjuvant is a drug or other substance, or a combination of substances, that is used to increase the efficacy or potency of certain drugs. Specifically, the term can refer to: * Adjuvant therapy in cancer management * Analgesi ...

in treating chronic heart failure. A 2010 review concluded that "Crataegus awthornpreparations hold significant potential as a useful remedy in the treatment of cardiovascular disease". The review indicated the need for further study of the best dosages and concluded that although "many different theoretical interactions between ''Crataegus'' and orthodox medications have been postulated ... none have etbeen substantiated. Phytochemicals found in hawthorn include

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...

s, flavonoids, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, and

phenolic acid Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids are types of aromatic acid compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic carboxylic acid function (C6-C1 skeleton). Two important naturally occurring types of ph ...

Traditional medicine

Several species of hawthorn have been used in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

. The products used are often derived from ''C. monogyna'', ''C. laevigata'', or related ''Crataegus'' species, "collectively known as hawthorn", not necessarily distinguishing between these species. The

dried fruit Dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to th ...

s of ''Crataegus pinnatifida'' (called ''shān zhā'' in Chinese) are used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of acti ...

, primarily as a digestive aid. A closely related species, ''Crataegus cuneata'' (Japanese hawthorn, called ''sanzashi'' in Japanese) is used in a similar manner. Other species (especially ''Crataegus laevigata'') are used in herbal medicine where the plant is believed to strengthen cardiovascular function. The

Kutenai people The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

of northwestern North America used black hawthorn fruit (

Kutenai language The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

: kaǂa; approximate pronunciation: ''kasha'') for food, and red hawthorn fruit (Kutenai language: ǂupǂi; approximate pronunciation: ''shupshi'') in traditional medicine.

Side effects

Overdose can cause

cardiac arrhythmia Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...

and low blood pressure, while milder

side effect In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequence ...

s include

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...

and

dizziness Dizziness is an imprecise term that can refer to a sense of disorientation in space, vertigo, or lightheadedness. It can also refer to disequilibrium or a non-specific feeling, such as giddiness or foolishness. Dizziness is a common medical c ...

. Patients taking digoxin should avoid taking hawthorn.

Landscaping

Many species and hybrids are used as ornamental and street trees. The common hawthorn is extensively used in Europe as a

hedge A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and sometimes trees, planted and trained to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area, such as between neighbouring properties. Hedges that are used to separate a road from adjoin ...

plant. During the

British Agricultural Revolution The British Agricultural Revolution, or Second Agricultural Revolution, was an unprecedented increase in agricultural production in Britain arising from increases in labour and land productivity between the mid-17th and late 19th centuries. Agric ...

in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, hawthorn saplings were mass propagated in nurseries to create the new field boundaries required by the

Inclosure Acts The Inclosure Acts, which use an archaic spelling of the word now usually spelt "enclosure", cover enclosure of open fields and common land in England and Wales, creating legal property rights to land previously held in common. Between 1604 and 1 ...

. Several

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s of the Midland hawthorn ''C. laevigata'' have been selected for their pink or red flowers. Hawthorns are among the trees most recommended for water conservation landscapes.

Grafting

Hawthorn can be used as a

rootstock A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to a ...

in the practice of grafting. It is graft-compatible with ''

Mespilus ''Mespilus'', commonly called medlar, is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae containing the single species ''Mespilus germanica'' of southwest Asia. It is also found in some countries in the Balkans, especially in Alb ...

'' (medlar), and with

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the po ...

, and makes a hardier rootstock than quince, but the thorny

suckering Basal shoots, root sprouts, adventitious shoots, and suckers are words for various kinds of shoots that grow from adventitious buds on the base of a tree or shrub, or from adventitious buds on its roots. Shoots that grow from buds on the base o ...

habit of the hawthorn can be problematic.

Seedling A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embryo ...

s of ''

'' have been used to graft multiple species on the same trunk, such as pink hawthorn, pear tree, and medlar, the result being trees which give pink and white flowers in May and fruits during the summer. "Chip

budding Budding or blastogenesis is a type of asexual reproduction in which a new organism develops from an outgrowth or bud due to cell division at one particular site. For example, the small bulb-like projection coming out from the yeast cell is kno ...

" has also been performed on hawthorn trunks to have branches of several varieties on the same tree. Such trees can be seen in

Vigo Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it sits on the southern shore of an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, the ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and in the northwest of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

(mainly in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

Bonsai

Many species of Hawthorn make excellent bonsai trees. They are grown and enjoyed for their display of flowers.

Other uses

The wood of some ''Crataegus'' species is hard and resistant to rot. In rural North America, it was prized for use as tool handles and fence posts.

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

people of western Canada used the thorns for durable

fish hook A fish hook or fishhook, formerly also called angle (from Old English ''angol'' and Proto-Germanic ''*angulaz''), is a hook used to catch fish either by piercing and embedding onto the inside of the fish mouth (angling) or, more rarely, by impal ...

s and minor skin surgeries.

Folklore

The Scots saying "Ne'er cast a cloot til Mey's oot" conveys a warning not to shed any cloots (clothes) before the summer has fully arrived and the Mayflowers (

hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

blossoms) are in full bloom. The custom of employing the flowering branches for decorative purposes on 1 May is of very early origin, but since the adoption of the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

in 1752, the tree has rarely been in full bloom in England before the second week of that month. In the Scottish Highlands, the flowers may be seen as late as the middle of June. The hawthorn has been regarded as the emblem of hope, and its branches are stated to have been carried by the ancient Greeks in wedding processions, and to have been used by them to deck the altar of Hymenaios. The supposition that the tree was the source of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

's crown of thorns doubtless gave rise to the tradition among the French peasantry (current as late as 1911) that it utters groans and cries on Good Friday, and probably also to the old popular superstition in Great Britain and Ireland that ill luck attended the uprooting of hawthorns. Branches of

Glastonbury thorn The Glastonbury thorn is a form of common hawthorn, ''Crataegus monogyna'' 'Biflora'Phipps, J.B.; O’Kennon, R.J.; Lance, R.W. 2003. ''Hawthorns and medlars''. Royal Horticultural Society, Cambridge, U.K. (sometimes incorrectly called '' Crataegu ...

(''C. monogyna'' 'Biflora', sometimes called ''C. oxyacantha'' var. ''praecox''), which flowers both in December and in spring, were formerly highly valued in England, on account of the legend that the tree was originally the staff of

Joseph of Arimathea Joseph of Arimathea was, according to all four canonical gospels, the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after his crucifixion. The historical location of Arimathea is uncertain, although it has been identified with several ...

. Robert Graves, in his book ''

The White Goddess ''The White Goddess: a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth'' is a book-length essay on the nature of poetic myth-making by author and poet Robert Graves. First published in 1948, the book is based on earlier articles published in ''Wales'' magaz ...

'', traces and reinterprets many European legends and myths in which the whitethorn (hawthorn), also called the May-tree, is central. Crataegus in Germany, bluehender Weissdorn, Mai 2015

Crataegus in Germany, bluehender Weissdorn, Mai 2015

In Celtic lore, the hawthorn plant was used commonly for inscriptions along with yew and

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

. It was once said to heal the broken heart. In Ireland, the red fruit is, or was, called the Johnny MacGorey or Magory. Serbian folklore that spread across Balkan notes that hawthorn ( Serbian ''глог'' or ''glog'') is essential to kill

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...

s, and stakes used for their slaying must be made from the wood of the thorn tree. In Gaelic folklore, hawthorn (in

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

, ''sgitheach'' and in

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, ''sceach'') 'marks the entrance to the

otherworld The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...

' and is strongly associated with the fairies. Campbell, John Gregorson (1900, 1902, 2005) ''The Gaelic Otherworld''. Edited by Ronald Black. Edinburgh, Birlinn Ltd. p.345 Lore has it that it is very unlucky to cut the tree at any time other than when it is in bloom; however, during this time, it is commonly cut and decorated as a May bush (see

Beltane Beltane () is the Gaelic May Day festival. Commonly observed on the first of May, the festival falls midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The festival name is synonymous with the month marking the ...

). Danaher, Kevin (1972) ''The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs'' Dublin, Mercier. pp.86–127 This warning persists to modern times; it has been questioned by folklorist Bob Curran whether the ill luck of the

DeLorean Motor Company The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was an American automobile manufacturer formed by automobile industry executive John DeLorean in 1975. It is remembered for the one model it produced—the stainless steel DeLorean sports car featuring gull- ...

was associated with the destruction of a fairy thorn to make way for a production facility. The superstitious dread of harming hawthorn trees prevalent in the British Isles may also be connected to an old belief that hawthorns, and more especially 'lone thorns' (self-seeded specimens standing in isolation from other trees) originate from

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

thunderbolt A thunderbolt or lightning bolt is a symbolic representation of lightning when accompanied by a loud thunderclap. In Indo-European mythology, the thunderbolt was identified with the 'Sky Father'; this association is also found in later Hel ...

s and give protection from lightning strikes. Hawthorn trees are often found beside

clootie well A clootie well is a holy well (or sacred spring), almost always with a tree growing beside it, where small strips of cloth or ribbons are left as part of a healing ritual, usually by tying them to branches of the tree (called a clootie tree or ...

s; at these types of holy wells, they are sometimes known as rag trees, for the strips of cloth which are tied to them as part of healing rituals.Healy, Elizabeth (2002) ''In Search of Ireland's Holy Wells''. Dublin, Wolfhound Press pp.56–7, 69, 81 'When all fruit fails, welcome haws' was once a common expression in Ireland. According to a medieval legend, the

, ''C. monogyna'' 'Biflora', which flowers twice annually, was supposed to have miraculously grown from a

walking stick A walking stick or walking cane is a device used primarily to aid walking, provide postural stability or support, or assist in maintaining a good posture. Some designs also serve as a fashion accessory, or are used for self-defense. Walking st ...

planted by

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England. The original tree was destroyed in the sixteenth century during the English Reformation, but several cultivars have survived. Since the reign of

King James I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until hi ...

, it has been a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

custom to send a sprig of Glastonbury thorn flowers to the Sovereign, which is used to decorate the royal family's dinner table. In the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

, the hawthorn represented hope in the

language of flowers Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in tradition ...

. The hawthorn – species unspecified – is the state flower of

. The legislation designating it as such was introduced by

Sarah Lucille Turner Sarah Lucille Turner, later known as Sarah Turner Jepson (March 28, 1898 – April 12, 1972), was a Missouri lawyer and politician who later went on to a career at ''Newsweek''. With Mellcene Thurman Smith, she was one of the first two women ele ...

, one of the first two women to serve in the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

Propagation

Although it is commonly stated that hawthorns can be propagated by cutting, this is difficult to achieve with rootless stem pieces. Small plants or suckers are often transplanted from the wild. Seeds require

stratification Stratification may refer to: Mathematics * Stratification (mathematics), any consistent assignment of numbers to predicate symbols * Data stratification in statistics Earth sciences * Stable and unstable stratification * Stratification, or st ...

and take one or two years to germinate.Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. ''Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada''. Macmillan, New York. Seed germination is improved if the

that contain the seed are subjected to extensive drying at room temperature, before stratification.Bujarska-Borkowska, B. (2002) Breaking of seed dormancy, germination and seedling emergence of the common hawthorn (''Crataegus monogyna'' Jacq.). ''Dendrobiology''. 47(Supplement): 61–70.
Uncommon forms can be

grafted Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...

onto seedlings of other species.

References

Additional reading

{{Authority control Rosaceae genera Medicinal plants Taxa named by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort Angiosperm genera Edible plants