Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn Berries Edible – , or Hawthorn, is a genus containing many species and varieties that grow in low marshes and river bottoms and high mountain ridges throughout North Carolina.
, or Cockspur Hawthorn, is a deciduous tree or shrub known for being very dense and providing strong shade. It is native to North Carolina as well as other parts of North America. The tree grows to medium size, about 20 to 30 feet tall, with a 9-inch trunk that produces both flowers and small red berries. Both of these can provide beautiful color to the garden. It grows well in full sun, moderate moisture, well-drained soils, but tolerates a wide variety of well-drained, shaded, and dry soils.
Table of Contents
Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn Berries Edible
The tree produces white flowers in May that form red berries, which are less preferred by birds. In the fall, the leaves turn a vivid red for added color. These flowers also produce an unpleasant aroma. This tree is also known for producing large 4-inch thorns. Some varieties, such as “Cruzam” (also known to a lesser extent var. inermis, meaning “without spines”) do not produce these spines. The plant is very receptive to pruning, can be cut back on old wood, and is free to re-sprout. It is often used as a hedge.
Small Spring Flowering Trees
Susceptible to cedar-hawthorn and cedar-papaya rust and fire blight, fungal leaf spot, powdery mildew, canker, apple scab, leaf blight and branch blight. Potential pests include aphids, borers, caterpillars, lace bugs, leaf miners and scales. Red spider mites can also occur. Thorns can be dangerous to children.
#thorns#brightflower#deciduous#small tree#shade tree#sunresistant#fragrant flower#drought-tolerant#rose#whiteflower#shrub#wildplant#moth#springflower#winterinterest#autumninterest# flowering tree #showyfruit #firelowflammability #NCnative #thorn #pollinator #low branch #Braham botanical garden #nesting site #larval host plant #clay tolerant #bird friendly #late spring nectar plant #butterfly friendly #spring Nectar plants #nontoxicforhorses#nontoxicfordogs#nontoxicforcats#red-spottedpurplebutterfly#greyhairlinebutterfly#viceroybutterfly) are small flowering trees with the most prominent and recognizable long thorns that grow to three inches (8 cm) .) . Despite its spines, this type of hawthorn is desirable because it is attractive and can be used as a hedge.
Cockspur hawthorn is just one of several varieties of the hawthorn tree. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada and is difficult to get into zone 4. Growing Cockspur hawthorn is not difficult, but it can be prickly. The large spines that grow on the stems mean it’s not a great choice for yards where small children or pets play. The branches grow very low, so thorns can be a real problem for kids.
Aside from thorns, this is an attractive tree for most yards. It grows to a height of between 20 and 30 feet (6 and 9 meters). The tree produces beautiful white flowers in the spring—the flowers smell bad, but they only last for a week—and the red fruit in the fall continues into the latter part of the season. Because Cockspur hawthorn has a round, dense growth habit with branches close to the ground, it is a good choice for hedges.
Hawthorn Berries: Identify, Harvest, And Make An Extract |
Cockspur hawthorn care relies heavily on making sure you choose the right spot for the right conditions. These trees prefer full sun but will tolerate partial sun. It adapts well to poor soils, various soil pH levels, drought, high temperatures, and even salt spray, making it ideal for urban environments. These hawthorns work best in well-drained soil.
One issue that can make growing hawthorn more challenging is that it is often susceptible to pests and diseases such as:
Monitor your trees to catch any of these issues early before they become overwhelmed and difficult to manage. Most are just cosmetic, but in some cases these pests or diseases can affect the health of the tree. Hawthorn berry harvest is new for me this year. If you get them at the right time, they’re sweet and mild, and I’ve tasted them prematurely in the fall for the past few years. This year, Washington Hawthorn is sweet and mild in late October. But by that time, the single hawthorns have already started to rot, so next year I’ll be looking for those in mid-October.
I owe it to Josh Fecteau for his recent hawthorn post, which inspired me to try hawthorn berries again. As Josh pointed out, there are many varieties of hawthorn, maybe 50 in New England. And, according to George Symonds, throughout North America, there may be a thousand species (taken from his wonderful book Tree Identification: A Practical Approach to Tree Identification and Identification)
Types Of Hawthorn Trees
, my favorite learning tree ID guide). Fortunately, you don’t need to be able to identify a specific 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 eaten. Don’t panic; just spit out the seeds.
Why bother with Hawthorn? They are beautiful, fun, delicious wild foods with health benefits. Some people make hawthorn jelly with berries, but I haven’t tried it yet. Berries, leaves and flowers can be used to make tea. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see how I made hawthorn berry extract.
I will describe both species here to illustrate general characteristics. This should help you recognize hawthorn when you see it, but I
If you’re unsure if you have hawthorn while foraging, check other sources before eating hawthorn until you’re sure.
Franklin & Marshall
It grows as a small tree or large shrub, bearing clusters of white flowers in late spring. The berries turn red in September (here), but then sweeten. By October 31st, they are sweet and probably skip the peak. Each berry has 3-5 seeds.
As you can see in my photo above, the leaves are lobed and toothed. Many other hawthorn varieties have similar leaves. The tree is covered with long thorns, about 3 inches long. However, as long as you exercise caution, you can easily harvest the berries, which tend to droop from the branches. It’s easier later in the season after many leaves have fallen and the thorns are no longer covered.
Also known as common hawthorn, this is a European native that has escaped cultivation and naturalized in North America. It’s sometimes called an invasive plant, but I don’t find it very often, and when I see it, there aren’t many in an area. Maybe it’s invasive in other parts of the country, but it doesn’t seem particularly invasive here. Like Washington hawthorn, single-seeded hawthorn grows as a shrub or small tree and produces clusters of white flowers in late spring. The oval red berries ripen in the fall (a little earlier than Washington hawthorn) and contain a single seed (hence the name). The toothed leaves are deeper than those of Washington hawthorn, but the spines are much smaller, only about 1/2 inch to 1 inch long.
Hawthorn is common in the forest undergrowth of Massachusetts, but these are scrawny specimens with poor results. It’s too dark in the forest. To find fruit-bearing hawthorn, look in sunny locations such as bushes and undergrowth, pasture edges, and streams. They’re often grown as ornamentals, so if your friend has one and doesn’t mind you picking some berries, you’ll have a foraging experience at your fingertips.
Common (english) Hawthorn Identification And Control: Crataegus Monogyna
This is my first time using hawthorn berries and I’m making an extract from them, the same process I use to make vanilla extract. I wish to use hawthorn extract as a seasoning in cooking and baking. I filled a clean canning jar about 3/4 full with the berries, covered them with 80 degree vodka, and closed the jar. I’m not sure how long it will take to get enough flavor out of the berries, so I’ll check daily. I know other extracts (like vanilla extract) take weeks, so that’s what I’m looking for here. Plant Description: A small, dependable deciduous tree of high ornamental value and multi-season interest. Late spring brings abundant white flowers followed by attractive red fruits that ripen in autumn and are a good food source for birds. Bronze red fall color is very nice. This thornless variety is easy to use in any landscape. Native to eastern North America, it is tolerant of drought and poor soils.
Plant Care: Trees – Deciduous (single stem woody plants that lose their leaves each winter): Regular pruning to promote health, provide air circulation, maintain ideal shape, and remove dead or damaged branches. Pruning of most trees is best done in late winter to early spring. Spring flowering trees, prune after flowering. Choose species that are resistant to pest damage. Regularly monitor trees for pests, diseases or other diseases. Protect tree trunks, especially during maintenance activities such as mowing,