Crataegus macrosperma: Uses (Ethnobotany)
The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicines and herbals for cardiovascular health. The wood is strong, heavy, and hard but has little commercial value.
Plant Profile: Crataegus macrosperma
Taxonomy: Crataegus macrospermaNames
Bigfruit Hawthorn, Fanleaf Hawthorn,, Hawthorn, Large Seeded Hawthorn, Thornapple
Phonetic Spelling:kree-TEE-gus mak-roh-SPERM-uh
Genus:Crataegus
Species:macrosperma
Family:Rosaceae
Crataegus, commonly referred to as Hawthorn, encompasses a diverse range of species and varieties found throughout North Carolina, from the low-lying swamps and riverbanks in the east to the elevated mountain ridges in the west. One notable species is Crataegus macrosperma, or Bigfruit Hawthorn, which is a native large shrub or small tree thriving in mesic or subxeric hardwood forests, as well as on wooded slopes, rocky outcrops, pastures, thickets, mountain balds, and rocky summits within the Piedmont and mountainous regions of North Carolina. The tree's shape, size, and fruit yield can vary significantly based on its growing conditions, largely due to the ease of hybridization with other hawthorn species. Interestingly, despite its name, the fruit is not particularly large.
Like many hawthorn varieties, Bigfruit Hawthorn features long, straight thorns and produces white flowers that bloom in the spring, followed by edible fruits in the fall. This species thrives in well-drained, moisture-retentive loamy soil but is quite adaptable, tolerating clay soils as well. It can withstand drought and windy conditions, although it struggles in salty air. Optimal fruiting occurs in full sunlight, while partial shade can negatively affect both the quantity and quality of the fruit. When grown from seed, these trees typically take between five to eight years to begin fruiting, whereas grafted specimens may produce abundant flowers by their third year. The flowers emit a scent reminiscent of decaying fish, which attracts midges, the primary pollinators. However, when first opened, the flowers have a more pleasant aroma.
**Diseases, Pests, and Other Plant Problems:**
Currently, there are no known diseases or pests affecting this species.
Crataegus macrosperma Feature Summary
Crataegus macrosperma Image Gallery
Tags
#deciduous
#small tree
#edible plant
#white flowers
#shrub
#wildlife plant
#native tree
#moths
#native shrub
#cover plant
#spring flowers
#NC native
#red fruits
#edible fruits
#Braham Arboretum
#larval host plant
#bird friendly
#nectar plant late spring
#butterfly friendly
#nectar plant mid-spring
#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 macrosperma is often confused with:
Crataegus macrosperma Feature Summary
Attributes
The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicines and herbals for cardiovascular health. The wood is strong, heavy, and hard but has little commercial value.
Eastern Canada and central and eastern United States.
AR, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV Canada: NB, NL, NS, ON
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). Good nesting habitat with thorns providing protection from predators.
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit varies in size and quality, some forms having a thin yellow flesh that is juicy and acid while others have a much thicker flesh that is rather mealy but with a good flavor. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use.
Perennial
Woody
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Fruit
Small pome with 1 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Pome
Red/Burgundy
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
One of the earliest Hawthorns to bloom in the sprint, flowers bloom in April and May. Clusters of white flowers with 5 petals, 5-10 stamens and pink to reddish-purple anthers. Unpleasant odor attracts midges for fertilization.
White
Corymb
Spring
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
One to three inch oval to ovate leaves are sparse to densely glandular; base is rounded to cuneate, lobes 3 to 6 per side, apex acute to acuminate, margins serrate and irregulate in size.
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Ovate
Lobed
Serrate
Undulate
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Bark
The bark is thin and, on old stems, fissures with age in narrow scales.
Dark Brown
Light Brown
Red/Burgundy
Smooth
Fissured
Stem
New growth golden green to strongly reddish tinged and glabrous. 1-year old stems usually shiny and dark brown, older stems with thorns.
Brown/Copper
Green
Red/Burgundy
Smooth (glabrous)
Zig Zags
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Tree
Native Plant
Deciduous
Rounded
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)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Native Garden
Hedge
Flowering Tree
Barrier
Drought
Pollution
Wind
Woodland
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Small Mammals
Crataegus macrosperma Image Gallery
Crataegus macrosperma Attributes
Crataegus macrosperma: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eastern Canada and central and eastern United States.
Crataegus macrosperma: Distribution
AR, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV Canada: NB, NL, NS, ON
Crataegus macrosperma: Wildlife Value
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). Good nesting habitat with thorns providing protection from predators.
Crataegus macrosperma: Edibility
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit varies in size and quality, some forms having a thin yellow flesh that is juicy and acid while others have a much thicker flesh that is rather mealy but with a good flavor. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use.
Crataegus macrosperma: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Crataegus macrosperma: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Crataegus macrosperma: 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 macrosperma Fruit
Crataegus macrosperma: Fruit Description
Small pome with 1 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Crataegus macrosperma: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Crataegus macrosperma: Fruit Color
Red/Burgundy
Crataegus macrosperma: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Crataegus macrosperma: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Crataegus macrosperma: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Crataegus macrosperma Flowers
Crataegus macrosperma: Flower Description
One of the earliest Hawthorns to bloom in the sprint, flowers bloom in April and May. Clusters of white flowers with 5 petals, 5-10 stamens and pink to reddish-purple anthers. Unpleasant odor attracts midges for fertilization.
Crataegus macrosperma: Flower Color
White
Crataegus macrosperma: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Crataegus macrosperma: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Crataegus macrosperma: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Crataegus macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Crataegus macrosperma: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Crataegus macrosperma Leaves
Crataegus macrosperma: Leaf Description
One to three inch oval to ovate leaves are sparse to densely glandular; base is rounded to cuneate, lobes 3 to 6 per side, apex acute to acuminate, margins serrate and irregulate in size.
Crataegus macrosperma: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Crataegus macrosperma: Leaf Color
Green
Crataegus macrosperma: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Crataegus macrosperma: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Crataegus macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Crataegus macrosperma: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Crataegus macrosperma: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Crataegus macrosperma: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Crataegus macrosperma Bark
Crataegus macrosperma: Bark Description
The bark is thin and, on old stems, fissures with age in narrow scales.
Crataegus macrosperma: Bark Color
Dark Brown
Light Brown
Red/Burgundy
Crataegus macrosperma: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Crataegus macrosperma Stem
Crataegus macrosperma: Stem Description
New growth golden green to strongly reddish tinged and glabrous. 1-year old stems usually shiny and dark brown, older stems with thorns.
Crataegus macrosperma: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Green
Red/Burgundy
Crataegus macrosperma: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Crataegus macrosperma: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Crataegus macrosperma: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Crataegus macrosperma Whole Plant Traits
Crataegus macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Crataegus macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Crataegus macrosperma: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Crataegus macrosperma: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Crataegus macrosperma: Appendage
Prickles
Spines
Tendrils
Thorns
Crataegus macrosperma Cultural Conditions
Crataegus macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Crataegus macrosperma: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Crataegus macrosperma: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Crataegus macrosperma: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Crataegus macrosperma: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Crataegus macrosperma Landscape
Crataegus macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: 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 macrosperma: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
