Crataegus pedicellata
Sarg.
Scarlet haw
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iNaturalist· cc0
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iNaturalist· cc0
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Summary
Source: WikipediaDeciduous shrub reaching 7m tall and wide. Hardy to UK zone 5. Flowers April to May with seeds ripening in October. Hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by midges. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils, including very alkaline conditions. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist or wet soil but tolerates drought. Withstands strong winds and atmospheric pollution but not maritime exposure.
Description
A medium sized tree. It grows 7 m tall. The fruit are pear shaped and 1-2 cm long.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The fruit is highly variable in size and quality. It can be eaten raw or cooked, and suits pies, preserves, and drying for later use. Some descriptions give the fruit as up to 10mm long and pear-shaped, with sweet but dry, mealy flesh; others report it reaching up to 20mm in diameter, and the best forms — when fully ripe — have an excellent flavour and juicy texture, though with a hint of bitterness before then. This species is one of the later hawthorns to ripen its fruit. Up to five fairly large seeds in the centre tend to stick together, giving the impression of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten fresh or cooked.
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 in general are well established in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic — a reputation supported by modern research. Both parts exert a hypotensive effect and act as a gentle, direct cardiac tonic, making them particularly useful for treating a weak heart accompanied by high blood pressure. Treatment must be continued over a prolonged period to be effective, and is typically taken as a tea or tincture.
Distribution
Temperate. It can grow on a wide range of soils. It can tolerate a wide range of soils including various pH values. It is cold hardy.
Where It Grows
Britain, Europe, Slovenia, 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. Plants are hardy to at least -18°c. A very variable species, it has been divided up into several different species by some botanists. The sub-species C. pedicellata gloriosa. Sarg. has larger fruits than the type. 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. A user in Poland says that Crataegus pedicellata exists in the wild in Eastern Poland and can support winter temperatures at least until -30C.
Propagation
Seed is best sown fresh in autumn in a cold frame; some will germinate the following spring, though most are likely to take a further year. Stored seed germinates slowly and erratically — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°C, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°C, and even then germination may take another 18 months. Scarifying before stratification may shorten this period, and fermenting the seed briefly in its own pulp 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. For small batches, pot seedlings individually as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on for the first year before planting out in late spring. For larger quantities, sow direct into a protected outdoor seedbed and undercut the roots if plants are to remain in situ for more than two years.
Other Uses
The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and close-grained, making it well suited to small turned or carved items such as tool handles and mallets. The plant is also noted for its scent.
Notes
There are 200 or more Crataegus species.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Pecljasti glog
References (3)
- Bot. Gaz. 31:226. 1901
- 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/
