62. Hawthorn Trees
(Crataegus species and hybrids)
Other Common Name: Thornapple
Family: Rosaceae ...
Another hawthorn tree, in full bloom on a hillside, is shown in the photograph below right. Underneath it you can make out some blue-green weeping limbs hanging over the fence.
Hawthorn trees are actually related to the rose. They are known for their incredibly tough wood. In Britain, the hawthorn was grown for its ability to form a thick, thorn-filled hedge.
Hawthorn trees have attractive shiny serrated leaves, numerous clusters of white flowers, red berries, and grow to about 20 feet tall in the foothills and mountains of the Southwest. They hybridize easily and species are thus difficult to identify.
Because of recent enthusiasm for planting native species, many young Black Hawthorn trees exist in Seattle. But Shortspine Black Hawthorns are almost never seen planted.
 See also: Hawthorn, Green, May, Apple, Medic
  
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