Crataegus caesa
Ashe
gbif· cc-by-nc
Paulo da Silva
gbif· cc-by-nc
Paulo da Silva
gbif· cc-by-nc
Paulo da Silva
Summary
A deciduous shrub growing to 3 m tall and wide with hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by midges. Blooms April to May with seeds ripening September to October. Hardy to UK zone 7. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils in mildly acid to mildly alkaline conditions. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist or wet soil with some drought tolerance, and handles strong winds and atmospheric pollution but not maritime exposure.
Description
A small tree. It grows 3 m high and spreads 3 m wide. The fruit are 2 cm across.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The fruit is good eaten raw or cooked, measuring around 20mm in diameter with a sweet flavour, reasonable flesh-to-seed ratio, and a moderately juicy, mealy texture that makes for pleasant eating. It ripens in mid to late September and can remain on the tree for several weeks. The fruit is also suitable for pies, preserves, and can be dried for later use. Up to five fairly large seeds sit in the centre, often adhering together so that the fruit eats much like a cherry with a single stone.
Traditional Uses
The fruit can be eaten fresh or cooked.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Though no species-specific research has been recorded, the fruits and flowers of hawthorns generally are well established in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic, a use supported by modern research. They produce a hypotensive effect and act as a mild direct cardiac tonic, and are especially indicated for a weak heart accompanied by high blood pressure. Prolonged use is necessary for efficacy, and the remedy is normally taken as a tea or tincture.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. It will grow in many kinds of soils and with various pH values. It is drought tolerant.
Where It Grows
North America*, USA,
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species, and do not know how hardy it will be in this country, or even its country of origin. However, a specimen growing in an open position at Kew Botanical Gardens is about 3 metres tall and wide and regularly carries a heavy crop of fruit. 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. 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. 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. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted.
Propagation
Sow seed fresh in autumn in a cold frame; some may germinate the following spring, though most will likely take another year. Stored seed is slow and erratic to germinate — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°C, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°C, with germination potentially delayed a further 18 months. Scarification before stratification may reduce this time, and fermenting the seed in its own pulp for a few days may also accelerate germination. Another option is to harvest seed green, as soon as the embryo is fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens, and sow immediately in a cold frame for possible spring germination. For small quantities, pot on seedlings individually once large enough to handle and grow through their first year before planting out in late spring. For larger quantities, sow directly into a protected outdoor seedbed. Undercut roots if plants are to remain undisturbed in the seedbed for more than two years.
Other Uses
The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and close-grained, suitable for making tool handles, mallets, and other small items. The plant is also noted for its scent.
Notes
There are 200 or more Crataegus species.
References (3)
- J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 18:24. 1902
- Lyle, S., 2006, Discovering fruit and nuts. Land Links. p 164
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
