ROSE BY ANOTHER NAME: HAWTHORN
Eco-gardening is at its best in The Monday Garden
December 7, 2003, Issue 89
Now that we've had our first BIG snow of the season, keep the cold winds at bay by daydreaming about fantastic little trees to plant next spring. There's a plant category called "little flowering trees", the gardening equivalent of "little black dresses". In other words, they're good to have on hand, never go out of style, and go with everything. And a little flowering tree with edible fruit is like wearing a little black dress with a single string of pearls.
This is one of the many hawthorns in my neighborhood in its spring formal wear, clearly showing its kinship to the crabapple, wild plum, serviceberry (shadblow), and other members of the rose family .
Hawthorns (crataegus species) have it all. Pretty spring flowers; attractive summer foliage and ripening fruit; colorful fall leaves and mature fruit; interesting branches and bark.