Woodland hawthorn

Short Description

Woodland hawthorn is a deciduous shrub or tree that can grow up to 10 m tall. Its crown is expansive and low-drooping.

The leaves are single and vary widely in appearance. Most leaves have five to seven pointed lobes and are incised. The leaf margins are irregularly doubly serrated.

The tree is comparatively small with a stem marked by fissures and bulges. The bark is red-brown to brown and furrowed. The shoots bear thorns.

Individual florets are generally white. As a general rule, they have two styles surrounded by reddish anthers. They are clustered in great numbers in upright cymes. Cultivars with filled reddish flowers can increasingly be seen in towns. The flowers have an unpleasant smell.

The fruits (pomes) are oval, dark-red and up to one centimetre in diameter.

In the city

In an urban environment, hawthorn is often planted in hedges. However, the occasional tree may be found in parks. Woodland hawthorn is not very tolerant of drought; for that reason, it cannot be planted just anywhere in town and frequently requires additional watering. Hawthorns provide habitats for a wide range of caterpillars. They thus make an important ecological contribution to urban butterfly biodiversity.