FNPS Plant Database

Crataegus crus-galli

cockspur hawthorn
  • Photo by: Nadiatalent, from WikiCommons
  • Photo by: Nadiatalent

Nomenclature

Common Name:

cockspur hawthorn

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Crataegus crus-galli

Family:

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.

Availability:

Seed

Propagation:

Seed, cuttings. Unlikely to breed true from seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

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

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■□□□□□□

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

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
Click a county The county name will appear here.
No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

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

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

Request an update