Hawthorn

Scientific Name:

various Crataegus species

Family Name:

Rose Family

Hawthorns are a varied group of shrubs and small trees found throughout North America. Some sources list 1000 species present here, and others list only 100. The taxonomy seems to be rather confused, and many seem to be difficult to distinguish from their brothers or sisters. Regardless, all have sharp thorns on the branches and younger stems. These may be up to one inch in length. Hawthorns spread easily, either by suckering, whereby the roots send up new shoots wherever the roots come close to the grounds surface, or when the berries are eaten by birds and mammals, with the digestion process scarifying (removing part of the seed coat) the seeds so that germination may occur when the animal deposits the seeds with its wastes.

Below you will find only a few of the common species or varieties found in the Pacific Northwest.

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Black Hawthorn

Domestic Hawthorn #1

Domestic Hawthorn #2