Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Crataegus

Species:

Crataegus aprica

USDA Symbol:

CRTR4

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, butterflies, small mammals

Fall Color:

red, orange

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Can resprout from roots after top-kill by fire. Typically found in fire-maintained woodland edges and openings.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

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

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

60–365 days

Notes:

Hawthorn seeds have double dormancy requiring warm then cold stratification. Germination is often erratic and may take 1-2 years.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI