Crataegus collina: Uses (Ethnobotany)
The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicines and herbals for cardiovascular health. The wood is strong, tough, heavy, and hard, but has little commercial value.
Plant Profile: Crataegus collina
Taxonomy: Crataegus collinaNames
Chapman's Hill Thorn, Dotted Hawthorn, Hawthorn, Hillside Hawthorn, Thornapple
Phonetic Spelling:krah-TEE-gus KOL-in-uh
Genus:Crataegus
Species:collina
Family:Rosaceae
The Hawthorn genus encompasses a variety of species and forms that are indigenous to North Carolina, thriving in diverse environments ranging from the low-lying swamps and riverbanks in the east to the mountainous ridges in the west. One notable species is Crataegus collina, commonly known as Hillside Hawthorn. This deciduous shrub or small tree, characterized by its flat-topped, horizontally spreading branches, is part of the rose family and can be found in the open hardwood and coniferous forests of the North Carolina mountains at lower elevations. Hillside Hawthorn is occasionally cultivated for ornamental purposes and offers numerous advantages for wildlife, including food, nesting habitats, and shelter for birds, bees, and small mammals.
This tree thrives in full sun to partial shade and favors moist, well-drained soils. In spring, it produces flowers that give way to edible yellow to orange pomes, which are particularly attractive to bees, wasps, birds, and small mammals. However, it is sensitive to drought conditions and may lose its leaves by mid-August during particularly hot summers. The branches are equipped with 2-inch thorns, though not as densely as some other hawthorn species.
In terms of vulnerabilities, the Hillside Hawthorn is quite prone to rust and has numerous thorns, which can make fruit drop a messy affair.
Crataegus collina Feature Summary
Crataegus collina Image Gallery
Tags
#thorns
#deciduous
#small tree
#full sun tolerant
#shrub
#wildlife plant
#moths
#deciduous shrub
#native shrub
#cover plant
#hedges
#food source
#privacy
#NC native
#edible fruits
#Braham Arboretum
#nesting sites
#larval host plant
#bird friendly
#nectar plant late spring
#butterfly friendly
#nectar plant mid-spring
#partial shade tolerant
#pollinator garden
#non-toxic for horses
#non-toxic for dogs
#non-toxic for cats
#red-spotted purple butterfly
#gray hairstreak butterfly
#viceroy butterflies
Similar Plants
Crataegus collina Feature Summary
Attributes
The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicines and herbals for cardiovascular health. The wood is strong, tough, heavy, and hard, but has little commercial value.
Eastern Canada south to Georgia, west to the Mississippi.
AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV
Important nectar flower for insects; food plant of many moths including the eggar moth; haws provide winter fruit for songbirds. This plant also provides nectar for pollinators. It is a larval host plant for Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and Viceroy (Limenitis archippus). Red-spotted Purple and Viceroy rarely use this host plant in North Carolina. Good nesting habitat with thorns providing protection from predators.
Perennial
Woody
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Nesting
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Fruit
Small orange to red pome with 3 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Pome
Red/Burgundy
Orange
Edible
Flowers
The numerous flowers are in corymbs, pubescent to nearly glabrous and 0.5 to 0.8 inches wide, with 5 petals. The flowers are white, with 2-5 styles and 20 pink or yellow stamens. Blooms in April-May.
White
Cream/Tan
Corymb
Fragrant
Spring
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
Spirally arranged on long stalks. Pubescent, rhombic-obovate in shape. Apex is blunt or rounded and base is tapering. Lobes 0-2 per side above the middle, margins serrate in distal ¾ of lobes. Undersides paler. Two to four inches long and 0.8 to 2 inches wide.
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Alternate
Rhomboidal
Obovate
Serrate
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Bark
Smooth and gray bark, fissuring with age.
Light Gray
Smooth
Fissured
Stem
Bark is thin and gray. Twigs are brown to gray, hairy when young, with many short and stout thorns or spines up to 2.5 inches. The bark of older stems tends to break up into narrow scales.
Brown/Copper
Gray/Silver
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Native Plant
Deciduous
Rounded
Horizontal
Medium
Medium
Coarse
Thorns
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Hedge
Screen/Privacy
Woodland
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Bees
Small Mammals
Spines/Thorns
Crataegus collina Image Gallery
Crataegus collina Attributes
Crataegus collina: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eastern Canada south to Georgia, west to the Mississippi.
Crataegus collina: Distribution
AL, AR, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV
Crataegus collina: Wildlife Value
Important nectar flower for insects; food plant of many moths including the eggar moth; haws provide winter fruit for songbirds. This plant also provides nectar for pollinators. It is a larval host plant for Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and Viceroy (Limenitis archippus). Red-spotted Purple and Viceroy rarely use this host plant in North Carolina. Good nesting habitat with thorns providing protection from predators.
Crataegus collina: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Crataegus collina: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Crataegus collina: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Crataegus collina Fruit
Crataegus collina: Fruit Description
Small orange to red pome with 3 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Crataegus collina: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Crataegus collina: Fruit Color
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Crataegus collina: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Crataegus collina: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Crataegus collina Flowers
Crataegus collina: Flower Description
The numerous flowers are in corymbs, pubescent to nearly glabrous and 0.5 to 0.8 inches wide, with 5 petals. The flowers are white, with 2-5 styles and 20 pink or yellow stamens. Blooms in April-May.
Crataegus collina: Flower Color
Cream/Tan
White
Crataegus collina: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Crataegus collina: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Crataegus collina: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Crataegus collina: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Crataegus collina Leaves
Crataegus collina: Leaf Description
Spirally arranged on long stalks. Pubescent, rhombic-obovate in shape. Apex is blunt or rounded and base is tapering. Lobes 0-2 per side above the middle, margins serrate in distal ¾ of lobes. Undersides paler. Two to four inches long and 0.8 to 2 inches wide.
Crataegus collina: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Crataegus collina: Leaf Color
Green
Crataegus collina: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Crataegus collina: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Crataegus collina: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Crataegus collina: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Crataegus collina: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Crataegus collina: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Crataegus collina: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Crataegus collina Bark
Crataegus collina: Bark Description
Smooth and gray bark, fissuring with age.
Crataegus collina: Bark Color
Light Gray
Crataegus collina: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Crataegus collina Stem
Crataegus collina: Stem Description
Bark is thin and gray. Twigs are brown to gray, hairy when young, with many short and stout thorns or spines up to 2.5 inches. The bark of older stems tends to break up into narrow scales.
Crataegus collina: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Gray/Silver
Crataegus collina: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Crataegus collina: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Crataegus collina Whole Plant Traits
Crataegus collina: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Crataegus collina: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Crataegus collina: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Crataegus collina: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Crataegus collina: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Crataegus collina: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Crataegus collina: Appendage
Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns
Crataegus collina Cultural Conditions
Crataegus collina: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Crataegus collina: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Crataegus collina: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Crataegus collina: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Crataegus collina: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
Crataegus collina: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Crataegus collina Landscape
Crataegus collina: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Crataegus collina: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Crataegus collina: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Crataegus collina: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
Crataegus collina: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
