Crataegus altaica

Ledeb. ex Loudon

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit 245 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Crataegus altaica is a species of hawthorn. It is sometimes considered to be a synonym of C. wattiana. Crataegus altaica var. villosa is considered to be a synonym of Crataegus maximowiczii.

Description

A deciduous tree reaching 6m tall and 4m wide, hardy to UK zone 5. Hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by midges bloom in spring. Thrives in light sandy to heavy clay soils across mildly acid to basic pH ranges. Tolerates semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist or wet conditions but handles drought well. Resists strong winds and atmospheric pollution but not coastal exposure.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and is approximately 8mm in diameter. It is yellow with a fairly dry, mealy texture and pleasantly sweet flesh. It can also be used in pies and preserves or dried for later use. Ripening in August, it is among the earliest-maturing hawthorns. Up to five fairly large seeds sit at the centre, and as these tend to fuse together, eating the fruit is much like eating a cherry with a single stone.

Medicinal Uses

Though no specific research has been recorded for this species, the fruits and flowers of hawthorns broadly are well established in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic, and modern research supports this. Both fruits and flowers exert a hypotensive effect and act as a gentle, direct heart tonic. They are particularly suited to treating a weak heart accompanied by high blood pressure. Prolonged use is required for effective results, and the plant is typically taken as a tea or tincture.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. Arboretum Tasmania.

Where It Grows

Asia, Australia, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Tasmania,

Propagation

Seed is best sown fresh in autumn in a cold frame; some will germinate the following spring, though most will likely take a further year. Stored seed germinates slowly and erratically — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°C, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°C, after which germination may still take another 18 months. Scarifying before stratification may shorten this period, and fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also help. Alternatively, harvest seed green — once the embryo is fully formed but before the seedcoat hardens — and sow immediately in a cold frame for possible spring germination. For small quantities, pot seedlings individually as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on for the first year before planting out in late spring. For larger quantities, sow directly in a protected outdoor seedbed and undercut the roots if plants will remain there for more than two years.