Hawthorn: How to Grow and Care with Success

What is Special about Hawthorn?

Hawthorn is special for several reasons, spanning from its environmental impact to its historical and medicinal significance:

Ecological Benefits: Hawthorns are a boon for wildlife, providing food and habitat. Their flowers are a food source for pollinating insects, and their berries (haws) feed birds and mammals.

Medicinal Properties: Historically, hawthorn berries, leaves, and flowers have been used for medicinal purposes. They are known for their cardiovascular benefits, particularly for conditions such as heart failure, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The antioxidants in hawthorn are believed to boost heart health by strengthening blood vessels and stimulating blood flow.

Aesthetic Appeal: With their dense, colorful spring blossoms and bright, rich berries in the fall, hawthorns are visually striking. The seasonal changes they undergo make them an attractive feature in landscapes and gardens.

Cultural Significance: Hawthorn holds a special place in various cultures and mythologies. In Celtic folklore, it’s often associated with faeries. The Glastonbury Tor, a mythological place in England, is said to be the site of the original “Glastonbury Thorn”, a hawthorn tree.

Adaptability: Hawthorns are hardy and can thrive in various soil types and conditions, making them suitable for different environments. They are also used in windbreaks and as a pollution monitor, given their sensitivity to changes in environmental conditions.

Symbolism: The tree is often seen as a symbol of protection due to its sharp thorns and dense branches, which provide shelter for many animals. It also represents hope, joy, and new beginnings in different cultures, attributed to its vibrant spring blossoms.

In essence, what’s special about hawthorn lies in its multifaceted value – it’s not just a tree, but a life-giver, a historical symbol, and a natural healer.

When to Plant Hawthorn

The ideal time to plant hawthorn trees is during the dormant season, either in early fall or in early spring before bud break. Planting during these times helps ensure that the tree establishes roots and adapts to its new environment before the stress of the growing season begins.

Where to Plant Hawthorn

• Sunlight: Hawthorns thrive in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. They need a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight per day.
• Soil: They are not particularly fussy about soil types and can grow in various conditions, although they prefer well-draining soil. They can tolerate slightly alkaline to acidic soil pH.
• Spacing: Ensure the location is spacious enough, as hawthorns can grow wide depending on the species.
• Site Selection: Avoid planting too close to walkways or play areas because of the thorns. Consider proximity to other plants; hawthorns can be excellent windbreaks or privacy screens.

How to Plant Hawthorn

• Start by measuring the root ball of your new hawthorn tree. You’ll want to dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth. This gives the roots room to expand into loose soil.
• Remove the tree from its nursery pot or burlap. Gently separate the roots if they are circling at the bottom and trim any broken roots.
• Place the tree in the hole, ensuring it’s straight and the top of the root ball is level with or slightly above the ground surface. Backfill with the soil you removed, pressing down as you go to remove air pockets.
• Water deeply to settle the soil around the roots.
• Mulch around the base of the tree to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Keep mulch a few inches away from the trunk to prevent rot.
• Stake the tree if exposed, and you’re concerned about wind.

How to Care for Hawthorn

Caring for a hawthorn tree involves several aspects to ensure it grows healthily and thrives. Here are the steps:

Watering

• Young hawthorn trees need regular watering, especially during dry periods. Once established, hawthorns are relatively drought tolerant, but it’s best to water them during prolonged dry spells.
• Avoid waterlogging as they don’t like sitting in overly wet soil.

Fertilization

• In general, hawthorns don’t require much fertilization. If growth is poor, you can apply a general-purpose fertilizer in spring or fall.
• Early spring is the best time to fertilize hawthorn trees, just before the onset of new growth. This is typically when the soil begins to warm up. Fertilizing at this time provides nutrients that the tree can use throughout the active growing season.
• Late fall, after the tree has gone dormant (post leaf drop), is also considered an appropriate time for fertilizing. This typically coincides with cooler temperatures, which signal the tree to direct energy towards root development rather than new foliage. Fall fertilization can help strengthen a tree’s root system and replenish nutrients expended during the spring and summer. This can prepare the tree for a robust start when the next growing season arrives.

Mulching

• Apply mulch around the base of the tree to help retain soil moisture, regulate temperature, and prevent weed growth. Organic mulch can also improve soil quality over time.
• Keep mulch away from the actual trunk to prevent rot and disease.

Pruning

• Prune hawthorn in the dormant season (late winter to early spring) before new growth begins.
• Remove any dead, diseased, or crossing branches to maintain the tree’s shape, health, and safety.
• Limit pruning to no more than 25% of the total canopy in one season to avoid stressing the tree.

Protection

Although hawthorn trees are tough, young trees might need protection from wildlife or extreme weather. Use tree guards if deer are a problem in your area, and consider windbreaks or wrapping in harsh climates.

How to Propagate

Propagating hawthorn can be accomplished through several methods, including seed sowing, hardwood cuttings, and grafting. Here’s how you can do each:

Seed Sowing

• Collect berries from a hawthorn tree in the fall, and extract the seeds.
• Clean off the flesh and dry the seeds.
• Stratify the seeds by placing them in a sealed plastic bag with moist sand or vermiculite and refrigerating for at least 3 months to break seed dormancy.
• In spring, sow the stratified seeds in a well-draining seed starting mix, just barely covering them with soil.
• Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged, and place the container in a warm, bright spot.
• Germination can be slow and erratic, so be patient. It might take several weeks to a few months.

Hardwood Cuttings

• In late fall or early winter, take hardwood cuttings of about 6-10 inches long from healthy, disease-free branches. Make sure each cutting has at least two or three nodes.
• Dip the cut end in rooting hormone to encourage root development.
• Plant the cuttings in pots with well-draining soil, leaving at least one node above the soil surface.
• Place the pot in a sheltered location outdoors or inside a cold frame. The cuttings will root over winter and start growing in spring.

Grafting

• Hawthorns are often grafted to improve disease resistance or replicate desirable traits.
• This process involves attaching a scion (cutting) from a desired hawthorn tree to the rootstock of a hardy hawthorn species.
• Grafting is typically done in late winter or early spring and requires some skill.

Regardless of the method, propagating hawthorn requires patience, especially when growing from seeds, as the trees grow slowly and may take several years to flower and produce fruit. Also, always check local regulations, as some hawthorn species can be invasive in certain areas.

Pest and Diseases

Hawthorn trees, while generally robust, are susceptible to several pests and diseases that can affect their health and appearance. Here’s a list of some common ones:

Pests

Aphids: These small, sap-sucking insects can cause leaves to curl and stunt growth. They also produce a sticky substance called honeydew, which can lead to sooty mold.

Hawthorn Lace Bugs: These tiny insects have clear, lace-like wings and feed on the undersides of leaves. They cause yellowish spots or stippling on leaves, leading to a bronzed or grayish appearance with heavy infestation, potentially stressing the tree.

Hawthorn Leafminers: These are the larval stage of a small fly. They create winding tunnels, or “mines,” within leaves, leading to brown or discolored trails and, in severe cases, premature leaf drop. Their presence is more damaging to the tree’s appearance than its health.

Pear Sawfly: It lays eggs on the undersides of leaves, leading to slug-like larvae, greenish-black and shiny, known for their voracious appetite for the soft tissue of leaves. Infested trees exhibit leaves with a skeletonized pattern as the larvae consume the leaf’s surface, leaving only the veins untouched.

Spider mites: These tiny pests cause yellow, stippled leaves and can lead to leaf drop when present in large numbers.

Scale insects: Scale insects are small pests that attach to the plant and suck sap, weakening the tree. They’re often noticed due to the sticky honeydew they produce.

Borers: Certain larvae bore into the wood, potentially causing structural damage or even tree death. Symptoms include sawdust-like frass and sap oozing from holes in the trunk.

Webworms and tent caterpillars: They defoliate tree sections, often creating unsightly webs.

Diseases

Apple scab:  A fungal disease affecting apple trees and related species like hawthorns, leading to leaf spotting, premature defoliation, and fruit deformation, diminishing the tree’s health and aesthetic appeal.

Fire blight: A bacterial disease that causes branches to appear scorched, with blackened leaves, often with a characteristic shepherd’s hook bend at the tip. It can be very destructive.

Rust (including cedar-hawthorn rust): These fungal diseases create orange to yellow spots on leaves, often with corresponding swellings or galls on junipers, the alternate host.

Leaf spot: Various fungi cause small, round spots on leaves, which may yellow and drop prematurely.

Powdery mildew: This fungus covers leaves in a white to gray powder-like substance, potentially leading to distorted growth and leaf drop.

Cratategus laevigata ‘Paul Scarlet’

Landscaping with Hawthorn

Landscaping with hawthorn trees can add a unique charm and multi-seasonal interest to your outdoor space. 

Seasonal Interest: Hawthorns are renowned for their beautiful, abundant spring blossoms, which can be white, pink, or red, depending on the species. They also produce colorful berries in the fall, and many have striking foliage that changes color in the autumn. This makes them a great focal point or accent tree in any garden.

Wildlife Support: Their berries, flowers, and dense growth habit provide excellent resources for various birds, insects, and other wildlife. Planting hawthorns can create a habitat niche, supporting biodiversity within your landscape.

Hedging and Privacy: With their dense growth and thorny branches, hawthorns make effective living fences or privacy screens. They can be pruned into formal hedges or left to grow into informal barriers.

Windbreaks: Their hardiness and adaptability make hawthorns excellent choices for windbreaks, especially in rural landscapes.

Thematic Gardens: Hawthorns fit well in native plant gardens, woodland gardens, or even historical or heritage gardens due to their long history of use.

Underplanting: Consider planting low-growing shrubs, perennial flowers, or ground covers around your hawthorn. Not only does this create additional visual interest, but it also helps maintain soil moisture and discourage weeds.

Group Plantings: For larger landscapes, planting a grove of hawthorn can create an enchanting, forest-like feel. Different species of hawthorn can be mixed to extend the bloom period and increase the diversity of color in both flowers and fruits.

Remember to consider the mature size of the hawthorn when planting, to ensure it has enough space to thrive without becoming crowded. Also, be mindful of the thorns when locating hawthorn trees, avoiding high-traffic areas where people or pets might frequently pass.