Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Crataegus

Species:

Crataegus × atrorubens

USDA Symbol:

CRSU6

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

800 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white, pink

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals, bees

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fragrant:

Yes

Fall Color:

red, orange

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Can resprout from the root crown following fire. Thorny thickets may provide fire-resistant refugia for wildlife.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

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

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

365–730 days

Notes:

Hawthorn seeds have deep dormancy requiring warm then cold stratification over 1-2 years. Scarification of the hard seed coat improves germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI