Crataegus chrysocarpa

Crataegus chrysocarpa is a species of hawthorn that is native to much of the continental United States and Canada. Common names fireberry hawthorn and goldenberry hawthorn, as well as the scientific name all refer to the colour of the unripe fruit, although the mature fruit is red and in var. vernonensis is "deep claret-colored … nearly black when over-ripe". Three varieties C. chrysocarpa var. chrysocarpa, var. piperi, and var. vernonensis are recognized.

Description

A shrub or small tree. It grows to 6 m tall. The leaves are small and about 4 cm long. They are almost round. They are lobed and have teeth. The thorns are about 6 cm long and blackish. They are slender and straight. The flowers are 15 mm wide. They have 5 white petals. There are 5-10 pale yellow stamens. The fruit are hairy. They are 10-15 mm across. They are normally deep red. The fruit stalk is hairy.

Edible Uses

The fruit is about 1cm in diameter, borne in small clusters, and has a very pleasant flavour when ripe, with the advantage of ripening in late summer before most other hawthorns. It can be eaten raw or cooked, and is suitable for pies, preserves, and drying for later use. It was also used as a famine food. A tea can be made from the twigs, likely meaning the young shoots with leaves. Up to five fairly large seeds in the centre of each fruit typically stick together, giving the effect of a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten in times of food shortage.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

A decoction of the dried berries has been used as a mild laxative, and a compound decoction of the root has been used to treat diarrhoea. More broadly, the fruits and flowers of hawthorns are well regarded in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic, supported by modern research. They produce a hypotensive effect and act as a mild, direct cardiac tonic, particularly indicated for a weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is necessary for efficacy, and the treatment is usually taken as a tea or tincture.

Distribution

Temperate. It grows in moist valleys. It is best in a sunny position. It is resistant to frost and drought. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.

Where It Grows

Australia, Canada, North America, USA,

Cultivation

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. Seedling trees take from 5 - 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year. A ten year old tree was seen at Kew Gardens in 2002. It was about 2.5 metres tall and was bearing a very good crop of fruit. 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 a cold frame in autumn; some will germinate in spring, with most needing a further year. Stored seed is slow and unreliable — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°C, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°C, and germination may still be delayed another 18 months. Scarification before stratification may reduce this period, and fermenting seed in its own pulp for a few days can also help. Alternatively, harvest seed green once the embryo is fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens, and sow immediately in a cold frame for possible spring germination. Pot seedlings individually as soon as they are large enough to handle for small-scale production, planting out in late spring. For larger quantities, sow into a protected outdoor seedbed and undercut roots if plants are to remain in place more than two years.

Other Uses

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

Notes

There are 200 or more Crataegus species.

Synonyms

References (13)

• Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 295
• Cormack, R. G. H., 1967, Wild Flowers of Alberta. Commercial Printers Edmonton, Canada. p 146
• Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 239
• Farrar, J.L., 1995, Trees of the Northern United States and Canada. Iowa State University press/Ames p 391

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