Native Plants As Habitat For Wildlife - Native Plant Society of ...

'Toba', also from Morden and with the same parentage, is about 4 m (12 ft) has double,
pale-pink flowers, bright red fruit, and glossy, deeply-lobed leaves, but is less hardy. It is
also resistant to cedar-apple rust.
Crataegus crus-galli (cockspur hawthorn) is a native hawthorn with white flowers and
bright red fruit retained over much of the winter. Both the common and botanical names
refer to the similarity of the 5 cm (2 in.) thorns to the spurs of a rooster! It is up to 5 m
(15 ft) in height with a distinctive and attractive horizontal branching habit. The bright
green glossy leaves show resistance to rust. The foliage has good fail color ranging from
orange to scarlet.
C. crus-galli inermis (thornless cockspur hawthorn) is similar in every way to the species
except for the absence of thorns. "Inermis" means, of course, unarmed or without thorns!
C. columbiana (Columbian hawthorn) is native to the Cypress Hills of Alberta and
Saskatchewan, 4 m (12 ft) in height, with white flowers, dark red fruit and well armed
with stout thorns up to 6 cm (2.5 in.)in length.
C. succulenta (fleshy hawthorn) is also native, and about the same height. It has white
flowers, red sticky fruit, and is highly susceptible to cedar apple rust.
C. chrysocarpa (round-leaved or fireberry hawthorn) is another native species, with dark
green, glossy leaves and red orange berries. Three metres (10 ft) in height, it has white
flowers and thorns.
Culture:
Hawthorns do well in full sun on a variety of soils as long as drainage is good. They may
occasionally be infected with pear slug or fireblight. Cedar apple rust, which can
completely disfigure the leaves and even cause defoliation, is the most serious problem.
Planting resistant species is recommended.
Use:
Because of its small size, the hawthorn is an excellent but under-used tree in the small
urban yard. It can be grouped is larger spaces. Not recommended for climbing, its value
lies in its size, flowers and fruit. It provides both cover and food for birds and is a nectar
plant for humming birds. It is also used in shelterbelt plantings.
Propagation:
Seed which has first been stratified for 3 months at 40°C.
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