Hawthorn Wild Winter Berries – Common hawthorn, also called English hawthorn, single-seeded hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is an introduced tree native to the Pacific Northwest. This small tree spreads easily in woodlands and open fields, often producing a dense maple canopy. Its abundant red berries are attractive to birds and other animals, which help the tree to spread wherever it is planted.
In King County, Washington, common hawthorn is classified as a noxious weed and its control is recommended in natural areas that are being restored to native vegetation and in protected forest lands and wilderness areas. Common hawthorn can also be a nuisance species in pastures and wildlife pastures. regions and removing it from those regions is also recommended. This species is not on the Washington quarantine list and there are no restrictions on its sale or use in landscaping. For more information on weed lists and legislation, see the Washington State Weed Control Board website.
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Hawthorn Wild Winter Berries
Common hawthorn is carried by birds into forests and open fields, where it can form a dense thicket that dominates native species and makes it difficult for large animals to pass through. Common hawthorn is somewhat shade and drought tolerant and invades both open fields and woodlands in Washington, Oregon and California. Common hawthorn is also naturalized on both coasts of North America and in many states of the central and eastern United States. parts of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Although more common west of the Cascades, common hawthorn is also common in eastern Washington.
A Complete Guide To Washington Hawthorn Trees
Hawthorn is typically a forest understory species, but in our regions it grows well in a wide range of habitats. Riparian areas, abandoned fields and pastures, scrublands and grasslands, oak woodlands and other wooded habitats are all vulnerable to invasion.
Common hawthorn has been introduced since the 1800s and appears to have first spread in Oregon and southern Washington. Naturalized specimens were collected in Oregon in the early 1900s, and a collection from Wahkiakum County, Washington in 1927 notes that this species is commonly found along roadsides. For more information on hawthorn distribution, see the UW Burke Museum website.
Please note that this species and other species of hawthorn are legal for sale and planting in Washington.
Some of the photos on this page are courtesy of Ben Legler. Please do not use these images without permission from the photographer. Other photos not otherwise indicated may be used for educational purposes, but please credit the King County Noxious Weed Control Program.
Hawthorn Berry Fruit Tree Hi Res Stock Photography And Images
The program offices are located at 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98104. To contact staff, see the Weed Control Program directory, email or call 206-477-WEED (206-477-9333). .Information May Be Out of Date The information presented on this page was originally published on December 19, 2007. It may not be out of date, but please search our site for more current information. If you intend to quote or reference this information in a publication, please check with the professional or author before proceeding.
Sometimes we take natural plants for granted and forget their distinctive features to the landscape. One example is parsley leaf hawthorn.
My office is at Hinds Community College, and the campus here is a virtual arboretum. Every tree and bush looks as if it was part of the plan, and the winter color from the fruiting plants was definitely in the design.
For over 12 years, I have been a fan of parsley leaf hawthorns on campus. Botanically, they are Crataegus marshallii, at least according to most US Department of Agriculture reference books and websites. Just to keep us on our toes, it has probably been changed to Crataegus apifolia.
Winter Berries Provide A Critical Food Source To Wildlife
The name tells you that the leaves look like parsley – not the curly kind, but the regular version. In spring, this member of the rose family produces a blanket of snow-white flowers with long, slender stamens topped with pink flowers.
Let me just say that they are beautiful, and this is only in the spring. I challenge you to find a small tree that bears fruit redder than parsley leaf hawthorn in fall and winter. They are carried by thousands and make the tree visible from afar as the sun reflects their brilliant color.
Birds eat the fruit, but I also noticed that each tree has overhead branches that are perfect for birds looking to nest. It’s kind of a one stop shop for birds – a home and grocery store.
Parsley-leaved hawthorn is native from Texas to Florida and as far north as Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia, and most reports indicate that it is hardy from zones 4 or 5 through 9.
Winter Nature Concept. Frozen Food. Seasonal Berries. Christmas Rowan Berry Branch. Hawthorn Berries Bunch. Rowanberry In Snow. Berries Of Red Ash In Snow. Winter Background. Frosted Red Berries. Stock Photo, Picture And
Trees have a good structure, usually two or three trunks divided into several branches. Old trees have attractive bark. They can grow up to 25 feet tall and 25 feet wide, but most I see are closer to 15 feet and not that wide.
It is found in a variety of soils, from acidic to slightly alkaline, and from wells to swampy margins. If you are able to locate in a nursery that specializes in natives, choose a planting site with partial sun or morning sun and afternoon shade and fertile, well-drained soil. This will give you a photo-worthy sample.
Also be aware that their water needs, once established, are considered to be in the medium to low range. This is good considering our low rainfall each year.
While they can certainly stand alone, a location with a backdrop of evergreens makes for an even better display. This is probably one of those situations where opposites attract because the opposite of red is green.
Foraging Winter Berries
Over the years I have told you about great plants from around the world. But, this time, it’s something we always drive by and take for granted. It’s about time we reintroduced some of these breeds to our landscapes, and parsley leaf hawthorn was definitely considered. Hawthorn picking is a new thing for me this year. They are sweet and mild if you get them at the right time, and in years past I have tasted them very early in the fall. This year, Washington hawthorn was sweet and tender in late October. But by then, the lone hawthorn was starting to rot, so next year I’ll be looking for them in mid-October.
I am indebted to Josh Fecteau’s recent hawthorn post for inspiring me to try hawthorn berries again. As Josh points out, there are many species of hawthorn, maybe 50 in New England. And, in all of North America, probably a thousand species, according to George Symonds (from his wonderful book The Book of Tree Identification: A New Method for Practical Tree Identification and Identification.
, my favorite guide to studying tree ID). Fortunately, you don’t need to identify individual species. You just need to know it’s hawthorn because all hawthorns have edible berries. HOWEVER, like apple seeds, hawthorn seeds contain cyanide and should not be consumed. Panic attack; just spit out the seeds.
Why bother with hawthorn? They are beautiful, attractive and delicious wild foods with known health benefits. Some people use the berries to make hawthorn jelly, but I haven’t done that yet. Berries, leaves and flowers can be made into tea. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see how I make the hawthorn extract.
Plants With Ornamental Fall Berries For Tons Of Cool Season Color
I will describe two types here to show the common features. This should help you recognize hawthorn when you see it, but I
If you are not sure if you have hawthorn when looking for hawthorn, please check with additional sources before eating the berries to be sure.
It grows as a small tree or large shrub and bears clusters of white flowers in late spring. Berries turn red in September (here), but later turn sweet. By October 31st, they were sweet and maybe a little over the top. Each berry has 3-5 seeds.
The leaves are serrated and toothed as you can see in the photo above. Many other species of hawthorn have similar leaves. The tree is furnished with long thorns, up to about 3 inches in length. However, with reasonable care, you can easily harvest berries that tend to hang away from the branch. It’s even easier later in the season after many of the leaves have fallen and covered the thorns.
Hawthorn Branches With Red Berries Covered With Frost. Frozen Berries In The Forest Stock Photo
Also called common hawthorn, it is a European that escaped cultivation and is naturalized in North America. It’s sometimes referred to as an invasive plant, but I don’t see it very often, and when I do, it’s not a lot in one area. It may be invasive in other parts of the country, but it is not particularly aggressive here. Like Washington hawthorn, single-stemmed hawthorn grows as a shrub or small tree and bears white flowers in late spring. The oval-red fall berries ripen slightly earlier (than Washington hawthorn) and contain a