Plant Guide

Crataegus crus-galli L.
cockspur hawthorn
CRCR2

Summary
Duration	Perennial
Growth Habit	Tree, Shrub
U.S. Nativity	Native to U.S.
Federal T/E Status
National Wetland Indicator	FACU, FAC

Morphology/Physiology
Active Growth Period	Spring and Summer
After Harvest Regrowth Rate
Bloat	None
C:N Ratio	High
Coppice Potential	No
Fall Conspicuous	Yes
Fire Resistant	No
Flower Color	White
Flower Conspicuous	Yes
Foliage Color	Green
Foliage Porosity Summer	Dense
Foliage Porosity Winter	Moderate
Foliage Texture	Medium
Fruit/Seed Color	Red
Fruit/Seed Conspicuous	Yes
Growth Form	Single Stem
Growth Rate	Moderate
Height at 20 Years, Maximum (feet)	30
Height, Mature (feet)	30
Known Allelopath	No
Leaf Retention	No
Lifespan	Long
Low Growing Grass	No
Nitrogen Fixation
Resprout Ability	Yes
Shape and Orientation	Erect
Toxicity	None

Growth Requirements
Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Fine Textured Soils	Yes
Adapted to Medium Textured Soils	Yes
Anaerobic Tolerance	None
CaCO3 Tolerance	High
Cold Stratification Required	Yes
Drought Tolerance	High
Fertility Requirement	Low
Fire Tolerance	Medium
Frost Free Days, Minimum	90
Hedge Tolerance	Medium
Moisture Use	Low
pH, Minimum	4.5
pH, Maximum	7.2
Planting Density per Acre, Minimum	300
Planting Density per Acre, Maximum	1200
Precipitation, Minimum	24
Precipitation, Maximum	60
Root Depth, Minimum (inches)	24
Salinity Tolerance	None
Shade Tolerance	Intolerant
Temperature, Minimum (°F)	-33

Reproduction
Bloom Period	Late Spring
Commercial Availability	Routinely Available
Fruit/Seed Abundance	High
Fruit/Seed Period Begin	Summer
Fruit/Seed Period End	Fall
Fruit/Seed Persistence	Yes
Propagated by Bare Root	Yes
Propagated by Bulb	No
Propagated by Container	Yes
Propagated by Corm	No
Propagated by Cuttings	No
Propagated by Seed	Yes
Propagated by Sod	No
Propagated by Sprigs	No
Propagated by Tubers	No
Seed per Pound	5000
Seed Spread Rate	Moderate
Seedling Vigor	Medium
Small Grain	No
Vegetative Spread Rate	None

Suitability/Use
Berry/Nut/Seed Product	No
Christmas Tree Product	No
Fodder Product	No
Fuelwood Product	Medium
Lumber Product	No
Naval Store Product	No
Nursery Stock Product	Yes
Palatable Browse Animal	Medium
Palatable Graze Animal	Low
Palatable Human	No
Post Product	No
Protein Potential	Low
Pulpwood Product	No
Veneer Product	No

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons

Subclass Rosidae

Order Rosales

Family Rosaceae -- Rose family

Genus Crataegus L. -- hawthorn P

Species Crataegus crus-galli L. -- cockspur hawthorn P

Uses

Erosion Control: Because it tolerates a wide variety of sites, it can be planted to stabilize banks, for shelterbelts, and for erosion control.

Wildlife: It provides excellent cover and nesting sites for many smaller birds. The small fruits are eaten by many birds especially cedar waxwings, fox sparrows, and ruffed grouse; rodents and other smaller birds. White tailed deer and mule deer browse the young twigs and leaves.

Beautification: Excellent in group plantings, deciduous screens, groupings, tall barrier hedge, and seasonal accent tree.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values.

Description

General: It is a small tree that grows twenty to thirty feet high, twenty to thirty-five feet wide; with wide-spreading, horizontal, thorny branches. Leaves are broadest above or near the middle, thick, leathery, shiny dark green above, usually not lobed, and smooth. Flowers ranging from white to red are produced in clusters. Fruits are broadest above the middle or rounded, dull red or green.

Distribution: Cockspur hawthorn grows from southern Quebec, and Ontario to northern Louisiana, Alabama and northwestern Georgia, and west to Kansas.

Adaptation

Although Cockspur hawthorn generally requires no special soil requirements, it prefers a moist, well-drained, slightly acid soils, and full sunlight. It is adaptable to poor soils; various soil pHs, compacted soils, drought, heat and winter salt spray. Adapted to USDA Hardiness Zone 4.

Establishment

Propagation from Seed or Grafting: Cockspur hawthorn can be propagated by seeds or by stem cuttings grafted onto seedling rootstock. Propagation using seeds requires acid scarification for two to three hours followed by three months warm stratification and another three months prechilling. Seeds are planted in drill rows eight to twelve inches apart and covered with 1/4 inch of soil.

Containerized trees should be planted when they are no more than eight feet tall, in the fall or spring.

Grafts are budded on seedling understock in August and September.

Management

Seedlings develop taproot, thus should not be kept in seedbeds longer than one year. Balled and burlapped trees should be planted in early spring. If transplanted in autumn, amend soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch adequately and avoid winter salt spray. Pruning should be done in the winter or early spring in order to maintain a clear shoot leader on young trees and/or remove the weakest branches to allow more light to pass through. Suckers or stems arising from the roots should be removed when they become noticeable.

Pest and Potential Problems

Cedar hawthorn rust affects the fruit, foliage and stems. Potential pests include leaf blotch minor.

Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin)

Consult you local nurseries to choose the right cultivar for your specific landscape. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural Resources Conservation Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture.”

References

Dirr, M.A. 1990. Manual of woody landscape plants: their identification, ornamental characteristics, culture, propagation and uses. 3^rd ed. Stipes, Champaign, Illinois.

Duncan, W.H. & M.B. Duncan 1988. Trees of the Southeastern United States. University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia.

Elias, T.S. 1989. Field guide to North American trees. Revised ed. Grolier Book Clubs Inc., Danbury, Connecticut.

Flint, H.L. 1983. Landscape plants for eastern North America. John Wiley and Sons, Inc, New York, New York.

Harrar, E.S. & J.G. Harrar. 1962. Guide to southern trees. 2^nd ed. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, New York.

Little, E.E. 1996. National Audubon Society field guide to North American trees: Eastern region. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, New York.

Texas A&M University 2002. Native trees of Texas. Department of Horticulture, College Station, Texas. Accessed: 11jan02. <https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/indexscientific.htm>

USDA Forest Service 1974. Seeds of woody plants in the United States. Agricultural Handbook 450. USDA, Washington, DC.

USDA Forest Service 1990. Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook 654. Forest Service, USDA, Washington, DC.

Young, J. A. & C.G. Young. 1992. Seeds of woody plants in North America. Revised and enlarged ed. Dioscorides Press, Portland, Oregon

Prepared By

Alfredo B. Lorenzo

Formerly, Southern University and A&M College

College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Species Coordinator

Lincoln M. Moore

USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Edited: 09jan02 jsp; 24feb03 ahv; 05jun06 jsp

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS Web site<https://plants.usda.gov> or the Plant Materials Program Web site <https://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov>

Attribution: U.S. Department of Agriculture