Common Name:

Washington hawthorn

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Family:

Rosaceae

Form:

tree

Size:

25-35 ft tall by 20-25 ft wide

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

deciduous; flowers April to May

Noted For:

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant, screen, or can be pruned into a hedge. Fall color is orange-red and moderately showy in regions with adequate cold.

Considerations:

has thorns

Availability:

Propagation:

Seed. Unlikely to breed true. Does best in moist, fertile soil.

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

-|----|----|---- <------------------------> ----|----|----|----|-

Stays wet ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Loam, Sand

Soil pH:

adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

8A, 8B, 9A, 9B

Wildlife:

Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit.

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.

Native Habitats:

Floodplain forests and swamps.

Natural Range in Florida:

Visit the USF Libraries Atlas of Florida Plants

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.