Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Crataegus

Species:

Crataegus aprica

USDA Symbol:

CRAR8

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

600 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals, butterflies

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fall Color:

red, orange

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Can resprout from the root crown following fire; historically found in fire-maintained woodland edges.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 120–180 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–60 days

Notes:

Crataegus seeds have deep dormancy requiring acid scarification followed by warm then cold stratification; germination may take 2 years.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI