Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Crataegus

Species:

Crataegus crus-galli

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

900 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Native Range

Canada, Mexico, United States

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

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

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, small mammals, bees, butterflies

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fall Color:

orange, red, purple

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown following fire. Historically found in fire-maintained savannas and woodland edges.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

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

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–365 days

Notes:

Hawthorn seeds have double dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Germination can be erratic and may take 1-2 years.

Propagation data sourced from Claude AI