Crataegus ellwangeriana
Sarg.
Scarlet Hawthorn
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Summary
Source: WikipediaCrataegus ellwangeriana is a named hawthorn species that has been poorly understood and often misidentified. It is now considered to be a synonym of C. coccinea var. coccinea. A study concluded, that C. pennsylvanica of series Molles has frequently been misidentified as C. ellwangeriana.
Description
It is probably a hybrid plant. It is a medium sized spreading tree. It grows 6 m high and spreads 6 m wide. The fruit are 1.5-2.5 cm across.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The fruit makes an excellent dessert, with an acid yet sweet flavour, juicy but with a mealy texture, and is very pleasant eaten out of hand. It can also be cooked in pies and preserves, or dried for later use. Typically about 15mm in diameter, a specimen at Kew produces fruits up to 25mm across. Up to five fairly large seeds sit in the centre of each fruit and tend to stick together, giving the experience of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.
Traditional Uses
The fruit can be eaten fresh or cooked. They are used for desserts.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Although 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, a use backed by modern research. Both parts produce a hypotensive effect and act as a gentle, direct cardiotonic, making them especially suited to treating weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is needed for the treatment to be effective, and it is generally taken as a tea or tincture.
Distribution
Temperate. It can grow in a range of soils and with various pH values. It is drought tolerant.
Where It Grows
Australia, 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. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. This species is possibly of hybrid origin, involving C. pedicellata, though some botanists view it as no more than part of C. pedicellata. 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. A very ornamental plant.
Propagation
Sow seed as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a cold frame; some will germinate the following spring, though most will likely take a further year. Stored seed is slow and erratic — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°C, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°C, and germination may still take another 18 months. Scarifying before stratification may help, as may fermenting the seed in its own pulp for a few days. Another option is to 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. For small quantities, pot seedlings individually once large enough to handle, grow on for a year, then plant out in late spring to nursery beds or final positions. For larger quantities, sow direct into an outdoor seedbed with protection from mice and other seed-eaters, and undercut roots if plants will remain in the seedbed for more than two years.
Other Uses
The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and close-grained, making it suitable for tool handles, mallets, and other small items.
Notes
There are 200 or more Crataegus species.
Synonyms
References (5)
- Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 295
- Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 313
- Lord, E.E., & Willis, J.H., 1999, Shrubs and Trees for Australian gardens. Lothian. p 52
- 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/
