Green Hawthorn –Crataegus viridis
Description
Leaves: Alternate, simple and ovate to elliptic, 1 to 3” long. Medium glossy green with a purple/scarlet fall color.
Bark: Silvery gray with greenish patches. Occasionally exfoliating to reveal orange inner bark.
Flowers: Fragrant, with 5 petals in 2” clusters May to June
Fruit: Bright red pomes ripening in September and often persisting until the winter.
Attributes: Specimen tree for lawns and streets. Flowers, fall color, berries and bark provide interest through each season.
Culture
Growing Conditions: Dry to medium well drained soils in full sun. Tolerates drought and is pollution tolerant.
Maintenance: One of the more disease resistant hawthorns but is susceptible to cedar hawthorn rust, fireblight, leaf spot, powdery mildew, cankers, leaf miner, borers, caterpillars, lacebugs and scale.
Transplanting: Easily transplanted due to adaptability.
Our Experience
We feature Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’ in a grouping around our fountain garden. They provide a beautiful back drop for this garden with aesthetic attributes for each season. We do keep our hawthorns on a fungicidal spray regimen to keep disease in check. We’ve also had to treat for leaf miner.
Hawthorn Bloom Data
| Year | Bud Break | Full Bloom | Bloom Drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | May 23 | June 6 | June 20 |
| 2021 | May 20 | May 26 | June 5 |
| 2022 | May 16 | May 28 | June 9 |
| 2023 | May 18 | May 26 | June 9 |