Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata
Taxonomy: Crataegus intricataNames
Copenhagen Hawthorn, Entangled Hawthorn, Hawthorn, Scarlet-fruited Haw, Scarlet Hawthorn, Thicket Hawthorn, White Hawthorn
Phonetic Spelling:kree-TEE-gus in-tree-KAY-tuh
Genus:Crataegus
Species:intricata
Family:Rosaceae
Crataegus, commonly known as Hawthorn, encompasses a variety of species and forms that thrive across North Carolina, ranging from the eastern swamps and riverbanks to the elevated mountain ridges in the west. One notable species, Crataegus intricata, or Entangled Hawthorn, is a small native shrub typically found in open or rocky woodlands, meadows, fields, and areas disturbed by human activity. This plant is characterized by its long, straight thorns, white spring blossoms, and edible fruit that ripens in the fall.
While it requires well-drained soil, Crataegus intricata is adaptable to various soil types and can thrive in highly alkaline conditions. Although some Hawthorn species are cultivated for ornamental purposes, C. intricata's tendency to form dense thickets, combined with its formidable thorns, makes it an effective security plant. It is resilient against drought, air pollution, and wind, but struggles in salty air. This hardy plant can tolerate both moist and heavy clay soils, as well as periods of drought. For optimal fruit production, it should be planted in full sunlight; while it can survive in partial shade, fruit yields will be diminished.
Propagation can occur from seeds, but the best results come from planting seeds directly from ripe fruit in the fall, allowing for germination in the following spring. Seeds that are stored may require acid scarification or a combination of cold and hot stratification for about 120 days. When grown from seed, it typically takes 5 to 8 years for the trees to produce fruit. The flowers emit an odor reminiscent of decaying fish, which attracts midges for pollination, although they have a more pleasant fragrance when freshly opened.
**Diseases, Pests, and Other Plant Problems:**
Currently, there are no known issues with diseases or pests affecting this plant.
Crataegus intricata Feature Summary
Crataegus intricata Image Gallery
Tags
#thorns
#deciduous
#small tree
#drought tolerant
#white flowers
#wildlife plant
#moths
#deciduous shrub
#nectar plant
#native shrub
#native bees
#spring flowers
#air pollution tolerant
#erosion control
#food source
#wind tolerant
#NC native
#thickets
#edible fruits
#alkaline soil tolerant
#Braham Arboretum
#nesting sites
#larval host plant
#bird friendly
#nectar plant late spring
#butterfly friendly
#nectar plant mid-spring
#pollinator garden
#bee friendly
#non-toxic for horses
#non-toxic for dogs
#non-toxic for cats
#red-spotted purple butterfly
#gray hairstreak butterfly
#viceroy butterflies
Similar Plants
Crataegus intricata 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 North America
Maine to Georgia, Michigan to Oklahoma
Native bees nectar at the flowers. Important nectar flower for insects; food plant of many moths including the eggar moth; haws provide winter fruit for songbirds. 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.
The fruits are edible and sweet but mealy. Can be eaten raw, cooked or dried for later use. Hard dry flesh.
Perennial
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Nesting
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Fruit
Pome with 1 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Pome
Green
Red/Burgundy
Orange
Edible
Summer
Fall
< 1 inch
Flowers
Five petaled white flowers in the spring. Have both male and female parts are pollinated by midges and bees. Flower blooms from April to May.
White
Corymb
Fragrant
Showy
Spring
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
Oval or wedge-shaped leaves, spirally arranged on long shoots. Lobed or serrated margins, notched on the edges, 2 to 3 inches long, broadest at or below the middle.
Deciduous
Green
Gold/Yellow
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Lobed
Serrate
1-3 inches
Bark
Branches with curved thorns 1 to 1.5 inches long; bark smooth and gray, fissuring with age.
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Smooth
Fissured
Stem
Stems are brown and red. Winter buds have three or more scales overlapped like shingles
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
Enclosed in more than 2 scales
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Edible
Deciduous
Multi-stemmed
Dense
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)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Edible Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Border
Hedge
Security
Drought
Pollution
Wind
Erosion
Woodland
Meadow
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Bees
Specialized Bees
Crataegus intricata Image Gallery
Crataegus intricata Attributes
Crataegus intricata: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eastern North America
Crataegus intricata: Distribution
Maine to Georgia, Michigan to Oklahoma
Crataegus intricata: Wildlife Value
Native bees nectar at the flowers. Important nectar flower for insects; food plant of many moths including the eggar moth; haws provide winter fruit for songbirds. 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 intricata: Edibility
The fruits are edible and sweet but mealy. Can be eaten raw, cooked or dried for later use. Hard dry flesh.
Crataegus intricata: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Crataegus intricata: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata Fruit
Crataegus intricata: Fruit Description
Pome with 1 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Crataegus intricata: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Crataegus intricata: Fruit Color
Green
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Crataegus intricata: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Crataegus intricata: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Crataegus intricata: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Crataegus intricata Flowers
Crataegus intricata: Flower Description
Five petaled white flowers in the spring. Have both male and female parts are pollinated by midges and bees. Flower blooms from April to May.
Crataegus intricata: Flower Color
White
Crataegus intricata: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Crataegus intricata: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Crataegus intricata: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Crataegus intricata Leaves
Crataegus intricata: Leaf Description
Oval or wedge-shaped leaves, spirally arranged on long shoots. Lobed or serrated margins, notched on the edges, 2 to 3 inches long, broadest at or below the middle.
Crataegus intricata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Crataegus intricata: Leaf Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Crataegus intricata: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Crataegus intricata: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Crataegus intricata: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Crataegus intricata: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Crataegus intricata Bark
Crataegus intricata: Bark Description
Branches with curved thorns 1 to 1.5 inches long; bark smooth and gray, fissuring with age.
Crataegus intricata: Bark Color
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Crataegus intricata: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Crataegus intricata Stem
Crataegus intricata: Stem Description
Stems are brown and red. Winter buds have three or more scales overlapped like shingles
Crataegus intricata: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
Crataegus intricata: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Crataegus intricata: Stem Bud Scales
Enclosed in 2 scales
Enclosed in a single cap like scale
Enclosed in more than 2 scales
No scales, covered in hair
Crataegus intricata Whole Plant Traits
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Crataegus intricata: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Crataegus intricata: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Crataegus intricata: Appendage
Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns
Crataegus intricata Cultural Conditions
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Crataegus intricata: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Crataegus intricata: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Crataegus intricata: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Crataegus intricata: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Crataegus intricata Landscape
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata: 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 intricata: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Crataegus intricata: 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 intricata: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
