Crataegus macrosperma
| Crataegus macrosperma | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 26' |
| Width: | 26' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Crataegus macrosperma (common name: big-fruit hawthorn)
Propagation: Seed - this is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame, some of the seed will germinate in the spring, though most will probably take another year. Stored seed can be very slow and erratic to germinate, it should be warm stratified for 3 months at 15°c and then cold stratified for another 3 months at 4°c[1]. It may still take another 18 months to germinate[2]. Scarifying the seed before stratifying it might reduce this time[3]. Fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also speed up the germination process[K]. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (as soon as the embryo has fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens) and sow it immediately in a cold frame. If timed well, it can germinate in the spring[3]. If you are only growing small quantities of plants, it is best to pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in individual pots for their first year, planting them out in late spring into nursery beds or their final positions. When growing larger quantities, it might be best to sow them directly outdoors in a seedbed, but with protection from mice and other seed-eating creatures. Grow them on in the seedbed until large enough to plant out, but undercut the roots if they are to be left undisturbed for more than two years.
Cultivation: A very easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained moisture retentive loamy soil but is not at all fussy[4][5]. Once established, it succeeds in excessively moist soils and also tolerates drought[5]. It grows well on a chalk soil and also in heavy clay soils[5]. A position in full sun is best when plants are being grown for their fruit, they also succeed in semi-shade though fruit yields and quality will be lower in such a position[4][5]. Most members of this genus succeed in exposed positions, they also tolerate atmospheric pollution[5].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[5].
This is a very variable species, more than 50 different names have been given to it[6]. It varies quite considerably in the size and quality of its fruit[7]. It is very closely related to, and possibly no more than a part of C. flabellata[8].
Seedling trees take from 5 - 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year[K].
The flowers have a foetid smell somewhat like decaying fish. This attracts midges which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones[9].
Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted[4].
Range: Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia and Maine, south to North Carolina and Tennessee.
Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats, including thickets and open woods[8], woods and river banks in dry clay soils and rich moist soils along the margins of oak woodlands[7].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[10]. Fairly large with a reasonable flavour, it makes a very acceptable dessert fruit[K]. The fruit varies quite considerably in size and quality, some forms having a thin yellow flesh that is juicy and acid whilst others have a much thicker flesh that is rather mealy but with a good flavour[7][K]. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter[5], though it can be up to 20mm in diameter[6]. There are up to five fairly large seeds in the centre of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed[K].
Medicinal: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic[11]. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure[11]. Prolonged use is necessary for it to be efficacious[11]. It is normally used either as a tea or a tincture[11].
Usage: Wood - heavy, hard, tough, close-grained. Useful for making tool handles, mallets and other small items[7].
Pollinators: Midges
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Pollution: Tolerates environmental pollution.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Livingstone, B. Flora of Canada. National Museums of Canada, 1978.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.