Plant Type

Tree

 

Height Range

12-25'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

Red

 

Fruit Season

Winter, Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Showy Flowers, Silhouette, Specimen

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Parking Strip, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Screen, Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds

Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn is a rounded, small tree, ususally growing 15 to 18 feet all nearly as wide. Leaves are oval, slightly toothed, and deep green, turning orange to purple-red in the fall. White flowers bloom in May; and are followed by small, rounded fruits that ripen late summer into fall. Fruits are technically edible, but are best left for the birds. Bark is exfoliating; coupled with the fruit, it makes for a pretty winter picture. Its thornless habit makes this hawthorn well suited for patios, walkways, and entries. Nice in groups.

Hawthorns grow in full sun to part shade, in any well drained soil. They tolerate clay, loamy, or sandy soils; pH adaptive. Very twiggy; prune in late winter to early spring when structure is most apparent (see Guides); shearing makes them more twiggy and tangled.