Description

Leaves: Alternate; simple; oval; 1" to 3" long; deciduous; margin sharply doubly serrate or shallowly lobed, especially on the upper half; glabrous or nearly so; dark green above; petiole 1/2" long; good orange-red fall color.

Twigs/buds: Twigs more or less zig-zag; usually with stiff, sharp, 1" long thorns.  Terminal bud small, round, scaly, and shiny brown; lateral buds similar.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect, showy, white, 5-petalled, 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter; appear in small groups at the ends of the branches in spring.  Fruit a small pome; round; 1/3" to 1/2" diameter; flesh dry and mealy, but edible; red at first and black when mature in fall, often persisting into winter.

Bark: Dark gray; scaly or slightly furrowed.

Wood: Unimportant; sapwood light colored, thick; heartwood red-brown; heavy; hard; close-grained; diffuse-porous.

General: Black hawthorn is native throughout the West and in the mountains throughout Utah.  A small, slow growing tree that can be shrubby.  Shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: This native hawthorn is rare in cultivated landscapes.  It could be used more in naturalized landscapes and would be good for wildlife habitat plantings.  Fall color is very good.  Zones 2-8.

Comments & Limitations:  Thorns or spines that can be dangerous; use thornless varieties if possible.

Characteristics