Crataegus macrosperma, the bigfruit hawthorn is a species of hawthorn native to most of the eastern United States and adjacent Canada, though uncommon at lower altitudes in the south. It is sometimes misidentified as C. flabellata.[2] It is one of the earliest hawthorns to bloom in spring.[3]
| Crataegus macrosperma | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Crataegus |
| Section: | Crataegus sect. Coccineae |
| Series: | Crataegus ser. Tenuifoliae |
| Species: | C. macrosperma
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| Binomial name | |
| Crataegus macrosperma | |
Description
editIt is a small tree with long straight thorns. It has white flowers that bloom during the spring that smell like dead fish, attracting midges that fertilize the flowers, resulting in edible reddish-orange fruits that appear during the fall.[4]
The most fruit will appear if grown in full sunlight. It tolerates clay soils, drought, and wind, but not salt air. Seed-grown trees will take 5–8 years before producing fruit, but grafted trees often have flowers by the third year.[4]
Ethnobotany
editThe fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicine for cardiovascular health.[4]
References
edit- ^ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2018). "Crataegus macrosperma". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T135957261A135957263. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T135957261A135957263.en. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ Phipps, J.B.; O’Kennon, R.J.; Lance, R.W. (2003). Hawthorns and medlars. Cambridge, U.K.: Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 0881925918.
- ^ Phipps, J.B. (2015), "Crataegus macrosperma Ashe, J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 16: 73. 1900", in L. Brouillet; K. Gandhi; C.L. Howard; H. Jeude; R.W. Kiger; J.B. Phipps; A.C. Pryor; H.H. Schmidt; J.L. Strother; J.L. Zarucchi (eds.), Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae, Flora of North America North of Mexico, vol. 9, New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c "Crataegus macrosperma (Bigfruit Hawthorn, Fanleaf Hawthorn,, Hawthorn, Large Seeded Hawthorn, Thornapple) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
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