Crataegus flava

Aiton

Yellow Haw, Summer Haw

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit 11 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Crataegus flava, common names summer haw and yellow-fruited thorn, is a species of hawthorn native to the southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida, west to Mississippi. Due to an error by Sargent the name C. flava was, and often still is, used for a different species C. lacrimata, which belongs to a different series, the Lacrimatae series. Flavae is another group of species that were thought to be related to the misidentified C. flava, and although it is now apparent that they are not related, the name of the group remains. Because the true identity of this species has only recently been discovered, the name is rarely used correctly. Individuals with red fruit occur; these have sometimes been assigned to a separate species, Crataegus senta. Like most hawthorns, plants similar to C. flava bear edible fruit that can be used to make jellies and jams, have a flavor that is mealy and a bit dry, and grow in large clusters. Some are shaped like pears. Also like most hawthorns, the wood of C. flava is hard and can be made into small tools.

Description

A thorny shrub or tree. It grows 6 m high and spreads 8 m wide. The shoots are without hairs. The spines have slight teeth. The leaves are small and toothed or shallowly lobed. They are dark green and 5 cm long. The flowers are fairly large and white. The fruit are greenish yellow. They are about 15 mm across.

Edible Uses

The yellow, pear-shaped fruit is well-flavoured though dry and mealy, and is highly regarded in North America as a wild fruit gathered for making jellies. It can also be eaten raw or cooked. Each fruit is up to 16mm in diameter and is borne in small clusters. Up to five fairly large seeds sit in the centre and often stick together, giving the impression of a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are used to make jelly.

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 grows on dry, sandy and gravelly soils. It grows up to about 450 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.

Where It Grows

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. 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. The fruit is sparsely produced in Britain. A tree at Kew in September 1993 was fruiting heavily. Some species of Hawthorn are self-fertile, but cross-pollination often improves fruit set. Crataegus flava is not self-fertile. Hawthorn berries are typically harvested in late Summer to early Autumn. Hawthorn flowers in Spring. Hawthorn grows moderately fast, reaching maturity in about 5-10 years, depending on the species and growing conditions.

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

Hawthorn is frequently used as a hedge or windbreak, providing wildlife habitat. The flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, making them highly attractive to bees, flies, and butterflies. The fruit and seeds feed birds and small mammals, while the dense thorny branches offer shelter, nesting, and roosting sites. Rough bark and a dense canopy provide overwintering sites for invertebrates, and fallen leaf litter supports soil organisms and beneficial insects. The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and close-grained, suitable for tool handles, mallets, and other small items.

Notes

There are 200 or more Crataegus species.

References (12)

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)
Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 313
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
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 197
Flowerdew, B., 2000, Complete Fruit Book. Kyle Cathie Ltd., London. p 180

Show all 12 references

Hort. kew. 2:169. 1789
Little, E.L., 1980, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf. p 471
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Saunders, C.F., 1948, Edible and Useful Wild Plants. Dover. New York. p 92
Tozer, F., 2007, The Uses of Wild Plants. Green Man Publishing. p 72
Uphof,
Young, J., (Ed.), 2001, Botanica's Pocket Trees and Shrubs. Random House. p 290