Crataegus calpodendron

(Ehrh.) Medik.

Pear hawthorn, Sugar hawthorn

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit 101 iNaturalist observations

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iNaturalist· cc-by

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

Summary

Crataegus calpodendron is a species of hawthorn native to much of the eastern United States and to Ontario, Canada. The common name late hawthorn refers to the flowering time, which is later than most North American hawthorns. According to James B. Phipps, this species may be the male parent of Crataegus × lavalleei.

Description

A shrub with many stems. It grows 3-4 m tall. The trunk can be 15 cm across. The leaves are 5-8 cm long. They are hairy and dull yellowish-green. There are few thorns. If they occur they are 3-4 cm long and stout. They are glossy and deep brown. The flowers are 12 mm wide with 5 white petals. The fruit are very small. They are 4-8 mm across. They are pear shaped. They are shiny orange-red.

Edible Uses

The fruit, around 10mm in diameter, is sweet and succulent and can be eaten raw or cooked. It works well in pies and preserves and can be dried for later use. As with other hawthorns, the fruit contains up to five fairly large seeds in the centre that typically stick together, giving the impression of a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.

Medicinal Uses

An infusion of the root bark has been used as a stimulant to treat general debility, while an infusion of the twigs has been used for pains in the side and bladder problems. More broadly, the fruits and flowers of hawthorns are well known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic, a use backed by modern research. They exert a hypotensive effect and act as a mild direct cardiac tonic, particularly suited to treating a weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is needed for best effect, and treatment is usually taken as a tea or tincture.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Canada, North America, USA,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed. The seed need cold treatment. Plants can also be grafted.

Propagation

Sow seed fresh in autumn in a cold frame; some will germinate the following spring, though most will probably take a further year. Stored seed is slow and unreliable — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°C, cold stratify for 3 months at 4°C, and germination may still take another 18 months. Scarification prior to stratification may help reduce this period, as may fermenting the seed in its own pulp for a few days. Alternatively, harvest seed green once the embryo is fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens, and sow immediately in a cold frame for potential spring germination. Pot seedlings individually as soon as they are large enough to handle for small-scale growing, planting out in late spring. For larger quantities, sow directly into a protected outdoor seedbed and undercut roots if plants are to remain undisturbed for more than two years.

Other Uses

The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and close-grained, making it useful for tool handles, mallets, and other small items. The plant is also noted for its scent.

Notes

There are 200 or more Crataegus species.

References (6)

Farrar, J.L., 1995, Trees of the Northern United States and Canada. Iowa State University press/Ames p 390
Fisk, J. R. & Hoover, E., 2015, Wild Fruits of Minnesota. A Field Guide. University of Minnesota p 23
Gesch. Bot. 83. 1793
Little, E.L., 1980, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf. p 465
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/

Show all 6 references

Toupal, R. S. & Hollenback, K., 2009, An Ethnobotany of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore: Plant Uses of the Ojibwa People. Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology. University of Arizona