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I joined the gardening world in waiting for the Southern indica azaleas to officially kick off spring with a gaudy display of beautiful color. But there’s one landscape shrub that tends to disappear when azaleas start showing off, and it’s actually one of my springtime favorites.
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Green Hawthorn Berries
Some gardeners consider Indian hawthorn to be a ho-hum shrub, with no pizzazz. But this plant is much more than a few prima donna shrubs that get attention every spring. An accurate way to describe these shrubs is saying hard-why not complain a lot about how they are being treated. They become pedestrians, become blue collar.
Hawthorn Berry With Its Grean Leaves Isolated On White Background Photo By Emartsstudio On Envato Elements
But if you look for it, you’ll find Indian hawthorns in almost every southern Mississippi landscape as a foundation anchor shrub. It is because they are reliable, and every home gardener wants reliability in the landscape. Indian hawthorn is an evergreen shrub perfect for planting in your home landscape in hardiness zones 7a through 10.
Star-shaped flowers from snow white to light pastel pink appear in spring in clusters held at the ends of branches. On a calm spring day, you can recognize the delicate scent of flowers as you walk through the blooming hedges. Pistils and stamens are red, matching the color of newly opened leaves. This feature adds additional interest and contrast to the color of the flower.
Indian hawthorn is not the only hard-working spring shrub. It also gets the job done in the summer and fall, too.
Thick, leathery green leaves provide a beautiful backdrop for summer annual color. The upper side of the leaves are dark green that is shiny in summer, and can turn blue-green purple when exposed to winter temperatures. The sides of the leaves have smooth and distinctly jagged edges.
Hawthorn, May, Maythorn, Whitethorn, Crataegus Monogyna/laevigata
Gardeners can blame it because we love the Indian hawthorn plant. Preventive sprays with fungicides containing chlorothalonil or propiconazole can help in spring and fall. The pathogen can live in leaf litter, so it is best to clean up fallen leaves around the plant to prevent the spread of this disease.
In autumn, the Indian hawthorn produces an attractive blue to black colored fruit. They ripen at the end of summer and fall and last through the winter.
Plant Indian hawthorn in full sun to partial shade. They prefer moist but well-drained landscape beds. To ensure adequate drainage, plant the crown 1 or 2 inches above the soil for best landscape performance. Indian hawthorn tolerates pruning well, so it’s easy to keep less than 3 feet in the landscape.
So, if your landscape needs a boost from spring-blooming shrubs, consider the Indian hawthorn selection when you shop at your local garden center. Those of you who read this little column regularly will know that I’m no stranger. a kayak, and I’ve plopped down in one on several botanic trips (all my botanic trips) in various wet conditions.
Hawthorn (crataegus Monogyna): A Tree Of Edges, Magic And Heart Healing — A.s Apothecary
I have also been known for paddling around in a kayak on cold winter days … which is not usually the style, because I am more of a fan of summer, as hot as it can get. However, even I will admit that there is something to be said for seeing the beautiful world around you on one of those short days.
So there I was recently crossing the waters of the oxbow lake associated with the Congaree River here in central South Carolina, on a cloudy and cold January evening. Most of the foliage is long gone, of course, although there are plenty of evergreens scattered around the swamp. Thus, the kayaker faces generally with a continuous and varied palette of gray and brown, trees in the bare floodplain. Then, suddenly, this!
I have to tell you that I was sad when we rounded a bend, and then this beautiful bush…small tree, really…appeared in view. It almost looks like fire, standing out from the drabness around. I should also tell you, up front, that this is the original species of hawthorn – the green hawthorn,
All the hawthorns (sometimes just called “haws”) in the world belong to the genus Crataegus, and there are several hundred species in the northern hemisphere, including North America. They occupy a variety of habitats, and many provide important wildlife food sources, as well as ornamental value.
Pile Hawthorn Berries Rested Near Veined Green Vector Image
The green hawthorn is a fairly common inhabitant of southern swamps and floodplains from Pennsylvania to Arkansas and Texas, then to northern Florida. The roots in older people are often thorny.
All hawthorns are quite deciduous. It has broad elliptic leaves, but the shape varies, and many leaves are very lobed. The leaves are on the edges, and in the New Year, all the leaves will die and disappear.
The flowers are very attractive, snow white when fully opened, and appear in late spring. All hawthorns have perfect flowers, that is, with pollen and ovules produced in the same flower. The flowers are gathered in tight clusters, each with five petals.
After fertilization, young fruits will develop. During the long growing season, the fruits grow and swell, each one contains 3-5 seeds. The mature fruit will be called a “pome”, which is actually like a mini apple or pear. (Or pyracantha.)
How Healthy Is Hawthorn?
At some point, the skin cells of the fruit begin to emit a red pigment. A lot of ripe fruits, crowded on the branches, can be an amazing sight. I hope you can find some to admire before the birds eat ’em up.
John Nelson is curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia SC 29208. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identification. For more information, visit www.herbarium.org or call 803-777-8196, or email [email protected] hawthorn (cultivar ‘Winter King’) has red fruits in the fall. Photo: M. Talabac, University of Maryland
Sun/Shade: Native species grow in partial to full shade; The cultivar ‘Winter King’ grows in filtered shade to full sun
Garden Uses: Green hawthorn, also called southern thorn (Crataegus viridis), is native to the Southern United States, including the Maryland Coastal Plain. Its natural habitat includes lowland areas, valleys, and swamps, with moderately moist soils and partial shade.
Making Hawthorn Syrup
The cultivated variety, Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King,’ is tolerant of full sun and highly adaptable to a variety of soil conditions including compact and occasionally dry. It is tolerant of air pollution and makes it a good choice for urban areas. ‘Winter King’ has small, inconspicuous spines, unlike the straight species which can have spines up to 1.5 inches long.
Green hawthorn offers many interesting seasons: beautiful white flowers in spring, attractive red leaves in autumn, and small fruits that turn orange-red in autumn and last on the tree until winter. The berries are edible but not considered high quality for human consumption. In mature trees, spots on the outer gray bark peel away to reveal deep orange bark.
Wildlife: Green hawthorn flowers provide nectar for bees and mature butterflies. Various songbirds and small mammals eat the fruits.
Director, Michael. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Use, Fifth Edition.
Organic Hawthorn Berry (freeze Dried)
Slattery, Britt E., et. al. 2005. Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, Annapolis, MD. 82 pp. Written by Ariane Lang, BSc, MBA and SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD – Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R.D., CDE, Nutrition – Updated December 13, 2021
This nutrient-rich berry has a tart, sweet and mildly sweet taste. Color ranges from yellow to dark red (
For hundreds of years, people have used hawthorn berries as an herbal remedy for digestive problems, heart problems, and high blood pressure. In fact, berries have been an important part of traditional Chinese medicine since at least 659 AD.
Antioxidants help neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals that can damage the body when present in high levels.
Essential Health Benefits Of Hawthorn Berry
Free radicals can come from certain foods. You can also have higher levels as a result of exposure to environmental toxins such as air pollution and secondhand smoke (
Polyphenols are associated with many health benefits due to their antioxidant activity, including lower risk (
Although preliminary research in animals and cells is promising, more human studies are needed to assess the effects of hawthorn berries on disease risk.
Summary Hawthorn berry contains plant polyphenols,