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Mertensia virginica en masse.
Mertensia virginica en masse. Photo © Mary Free
You are here: Home / Plants / Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic / Trees / Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn)

Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn)

Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn) tree with flowers in April in a residential landscape.
Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn) flowers in April
Crataegus crus-galli thorns in September.
Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn) bark in September.
Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn) developing fruit in September.
Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn) mature fruit in October.
Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn) tree with persistent fruit in February in a residential landscape.

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While this native* member of the Rose Family is found naturally in clearings, glades, woodland borders, and roadsides, it is a tough, adaptable tree that does well in urban settings. Its name refers to its long spines, which are said to resemble the spurs of a cock. Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Tree Flowers, April Tree, Fruit, October Tree Height: 20–35 feet Spread: 25–35 feet Bloom Color: Creamy white Characteristics Small deciduous tree with rounded form, short, stout trunk and horizontal, thorny branches Shiny, dark green, spoon-shaped leaves; orange to scarlet fall foliage Flat clusters of creamy white flowers, fragrant at first but turning odoriferous, from May to June Showy, small red pomes in fall persist into winter Spreads by suckers to form thickets Attributes Tolerates drought and pollution; susceptible to rust and insect damage; deer occasionally browse young twigs and leaves Fruit flesh edible but better relinquished to birds Attracts various insects to flowers; songbirds and mammals to cover, nesting material, and fruit; larval host for Gray Hairstreak, Striped Hairstreak, Red- spotted Purple, and Viceroy butterflies and moths Growing and Maintenance Tips Excellent Replacement for Soil Requirements: Average, Well-drained Pyrus calleryana - Callery (‘Bradford’) Pear Light Requirements: Sun Morus alba - White Mulberry Water Requirements: Moist Prune in winter or early spring; watch out for thorns Plant away from cedar to avoid rust diseases Use as an ornamental accent or barrier hedge or for erosion control on slopes *In the Mid-Atlantic Region, it is native to DC and MD. Its status is undetermined in DE. It is scattered in southern PA, mostly concentrated in the southeast corner. It is frequent to common in the mountains and infrequent eastward in VA. In NoVA, it is native to Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties. Hardiness: USDA Zones 4–7 developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills, Arlington, Virginia

Tried and True Native Plant Selections 
for the Mid-Atlantic

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Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn)

While this native* member of the rose family is found naturally in clearings, glades, woodland borders, and roadsides, it is a tough, adaptable tree that does well in urban settings. Its name refers to its long spines, which are said to resemble the spurs of a cock.

*In the Mid-Atlantic Region, it is native to DC and MD. Its status is undetermined in DE. It is scattered in southern PA, mostly concentrated in the southeast corner. It is frequent to common in the mountains and infrequent eastward in VA. In NoVA, it is native to Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets

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