Crataegus atrosanguinea
Pojark.
Azarole, Black Chokeberry
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Photo by David J. Stang
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Photo by David J. Stang
Summary
A deciduous tree with hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by midges. Not frost tender. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils, including very alkaline conditions. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, adapts to moist or wet soil with some drought tolerance, and handles strong winds and atmospheric pollution but not maritime exposure.
Description
A deciduous tree with hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by midges. Not frost tender. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils, including very alkaline conditions. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, adapts to moist or wet soil with some drought tolerance, and handles strong winds and atmospheric pollution but not maritime exposure.
Edible Uses
The fruit is large, succulent, and fleshy with a pleasant taste and can be eaten raw or cooked. It works well in pies and preserves and can also be dried for later use. Up to five fairly large seeds occupy the centre, and as these tend to fuse together, eating the fruit is much like eating a cherry with a single stone.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten fresh.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
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.
Where It Grows
Asia, Europe, Turkey,Türkiye,
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of this country. It is a very ornamental plant. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. A very easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained moisture retentive loamy soil but is not at all fussy. Once established, it succeeds in excessively moist soils and also tolerates drought. It grows well on a chalk soil and also in heavy clay soils. A position in full sun is best when plants are being grown for their fruit, they also succeed in semi-shade though fruit yields and quality will be lower in such a position. Most members of this genus succeed in exposed positions, they also tolerate atmospheric pollution. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Seedling trees take from 5 - 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year. The flowers have a foetid smell somewhat like decaying fish. This attracts midges which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones. Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted.
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.
Other Uses
The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and close-grained. It is practical for small items such as tool handles and mallets.
Notes
There are 200 or more Crataegus species.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | — | — | — | — | 2.8 | — | — | — |
Also Known As
Rogik, Sez, Sinz
References (3)
- Gundogdu, M., et al, 2014, Organic acids, sugars, vitamin C and some pomological characteristics of eleven hawthorn species (Crataegus spp.) from Turkey. Biological Research 47:21
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Polat, R., et al, 2017, Survey of wild food plants for human consumption in Bingol, (Turkey). Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol. 16(3) July 2017, pp. 378-384
