Crataegus crus-galli

cockspur hawthorn

Rosaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

20-30 ft tall by 20-30 ft wide

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

deciduous. Blooms in early spring. Fruit ripens late spring-summer.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Small specimen tree. Slow growing. Hedge.

Considerations:

Thorns of up to 3 inches long from branches and trunk.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Somewhat moist, no flooding ---- to ---- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

 Larval food for hummingbird clearwing moth(Hemaris thysbe), striped hairstreak butterfly( Satyrium liparops ), and blinded sphinx moth ( Paonias excaecata ).





Attracts pollinators, especially important for native bees.

Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit. 





Browsed by deer and rabbits.

Native Habitats:

Open woods, upland woods.