Hawthorn Trees for Beauty and Beast
Hawthorn trees, Crataegus , are named for the thorns that occur along their stems. Their other names include thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn and hawberry. The plant family is large so there are native varieties in North America, Europe and Asia. In the spring, bees and other pollinators swarm the sweet-smelling flower clusters. In the late fall and early winter, after the leaves fall, the trees are covered with fruit that looks like tiny red berries. Soon after the fruit arrives the songbirds arrive to clean off the entire tree in a day or two. Not only do Hawthorn trees provide nectar for bees and berries for birds, the leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of a variety of moths and many butterflies such as the brush-footed. The berries, sometimes called haws or mayhaws, are used to make jelly and wine. In some Asian cultures the berries are used medicinally. Historically, Hawthorn species have been used as street trees and as ornamental trees for small gar...