Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Crataegus

Species:

Crataegus pulcherrima

USDA Symbol:

CRAL14

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

600 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

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)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, bees, butterflies

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; typical of many hawthorn species in fire-prone woodlands.

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:

Crataegus seeds have deep dormancy requiring acid scarification followed by warm then cold stratification. Germination is often delayed until the second spring.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI