Editing Crataegus

{{short description|Genus of flowering plants in the rose family Rosaceae}}
{{Italic title}}<!-- Necessary, as the taxobox name does not match the article's title. -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Hawthorns
| oldest_fossil = Eocene
| image = Crataegus, various species, fruit.jpg
| image_caption = Fruit of four different species of ''Crataegus'' (clockwise from top left: ''[[Crataegus coccinea|C. coccinea]]'', ''[[Crataegus punctata|C. punctata]]'', ''[[Crataegus ambigua|C. ambigua]]'' and ''[[Crataegus douglasii|C. douglasii]]'')
| display_parents = 3
| taxon = Crataegus
| authority = [[Joseph Pitton de Tournefort|Tourn.]] ''ex'' [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| type_species = ''[[Crataegus rhipidophylla]]''&nbsp;<ref>{{cite book |author=J. B. Phipps |year=1997 |title=Monograph of northern Mexican ''Crataegus'' (Rosaceae, subfam. Maloideae) |volume=15 |series=Sida, Botanical Miscellany |publisher=[[Botanical Research Institute of Texas]] |isbn=9781889878294 |page=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXbTWqqkYJsC&pg=PA12}}</ref>
| type_species_authority = [[Michel Gandoger|Gand.]]
}}

'''''Crataegus''''' ({{IPAc-en|k|r|ə|ˈ|t|iː|ɡ|ə|s}}),<ref>''Sunset Western Garden Book'', 1995:606–607</ref> commonly called '''hawthorn''', '''quickthorn''',<ref>I remember the kitchen as being large and airy. 1974, ''A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe'', Collins, London</ref> '''thornapple''',<ref name=Voss>[[Edward Groesbeck Voss|Voss, E. G.]] 1985. ''Michigan Flora: A guide to the identification and occurrence of the native and naturalized seed-plants of the state. Part II: Dicots (Saururaceae–Cornaceae)''. Cranbrook Institute of Science and [[University of Michigan Herbarium]], Ann Arbor, Michigan.</ref> '''May-tree''',<ref name=RGraves>Graves, Robert. ''The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth'', 1948, amended and enlarged 1966, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.</ref> '''whitethorn''',<ref name=RGraves/> '''Mayflower''' or '''hawberry''', is a [[genus]] of several hundred species of [[shrub]]s and trees in the family [[Rosaceae]],<ref name="pfaf">{{cite web |title=''Crataegus'' species – The hawthorns |url=http://www.pfaf.org/user/cmspage.aspx?pageid=59 |publisher=Plants For A Future |access-date=12 April 2019 |date=2012}}</ref> [[native plant|native]] to [[temperateness|temperate]] regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. The name "hawthorn" was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe, especially the [[common hawthorn]] ''C.&nbsp;monogyna'', and the unmodified name is often so used in Britain and Ireland. The name is now also applied to the entire genus and to the related Asian genus ''[[Rhaphiolepis]]''.

==Description==

''Crataegus'' species are [[shrub]]s or small trees, mostly growing to {{cvt|5|–|15|m|ft|round=5}} tall,<ref name=Phipps>Phipps, J. B., O'Kennon, R. J., Lance, R. W. (2003). ''Hawthorns and medlars''. Royal Horticultural Society, Cambridge, U.K.</ref> with small [[pome]] fruit and (usually) thorny branches. The most common type of [[Bark (botany)|bark]] is smooth grey in young individuals, developing shallow longitudinal fissures with narrow ridges in older trees. The [[Thorn (botany)|thorn]]s are small sharp-tipped branches that arise either from other branches or from the trunk, and are typically {{cvt|1-3|cm|in|frac=2}} long (recorded as up to {{cvt|11.5|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=in|disp=or}} in one case<ref name=Phipps/>). The leaves grow spirally arranged on [[Shoot (botany)|long shoot]]s, and in clusters on [[spur shoot]]s on the branches or twigs. The leaves of most species have lobed or serrated margins and are somewhat variable in shape.<ref name=":0" /> Flowers are five-petalled and grow in flat-topped clusters and are most typically white, although they can also be pale pink or occasionally scarlet in colour.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trust |first=Woodland |title=Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) |url=https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hawthorn/ |access-date=28 May 2024 |website=Woodland Trust |language=en-GB}}</ref> The fruit, sometimes known as a "haw", is [[Berry (botany)|berry]]-like but structurally a [[pome]] containing from one to five [[pyrena|pyrenes]] that resemble the "stones" of [[plum]]s, [[peach]]es, etc., which are [[drupaceous]] fruit in the same [[family (biology)|subfamily]].<ref name=":0" />

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Crataegus monogyna - Common hawthorn.jpg|''[[Crataegus monogyna]]''
|(MHNT) Crataegus monogyna - flowers and buds.jpg|Close-up of ''C.&nbsp;monogyna'' flowers
|Scarlet hawthorn in flower.jpg|Scarlet hawthorn
}}

==Taxonomy==
The number of species in the genus depends on taxonomic interpretation. Some botanists in the past recognised 1000 or more species,<ref>{{cite journal |author=Palmer E.J. |year=1925 |title=Synopsis of North American ''Crataegi'' |journal=Journal of the Arnold Arboretum |volume=6 |issue=1–2 |pages=5–128|doi=10.5962/p.185187 |s2cid=186345930 |doi-access=free }}</ref> many of which are [[apomixis|apomictic microspecies]]. A reasonable number is estimated to be 200 species.<ref name=Phipps/> The genus likely first appeared in the [[Eocene]], with the ancestral area likely being Eastern North America and in Europe, which at that time remained closely linked due to the North Atlantic [[Land Bridge]]. The earliest known leaves of the genus from the Eocene of North America, with the earliest leaves from Europe being from the [[Oligocene]].<ref>Ufimov, R. A. and T. A. Dickinson. 2020. Infrageneric nomenclature adjustments in ''Crataegus'' L. (Maleae, Rosaceae). ''Phytologia'' 102(3): 177–199.</ref>

The genus is classified into [[section (botany)|sections]] which are further divided into series.<ref>{{citation |author1=Phipps, J. B. |author2=Robertson, K. R. |author3=Smith, P. G. |author4=Rohrer, J. R. |year=1990 |title=A checklist of the subfamily Maloideae (Rosaceae) |journal=Canadian Journal of Botany |volume=68 |issue=10 |pages=2209–2269 |doi=10.1139/b90-288|bibcode=1990CaJB...68.2209P }}</ref><ref name=FNAbook>{{citation |author=Phipps, J.B. |year=2015 |title=Flora of North America North of Mexico |chapter=Crataegus |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York, Oxford |editor1=L. Brouillet |editor2=K. Gandhi |editor3=C. L. Howard |editor4=H. Jeude |editor5=R. W. Kiger |editor6=J. B. Phipps |editor7=A. C. Pryor |editor8=H. H. Schmidt |editor9=J. L. Strother |editor10=J. L. Zarucchi |isbn=978-0-19-534029-7 |pages=491–643 |volume=9: Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae}}</ref> [[Crataegus series Montaninsulae|Series ''Montaninsulae'']] has not yet been assigned to a section.<ref name=FNAbook/><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=318069 |title=''Crataegus'' Linnaeus (sect. ''Coccineae'') ser. ''Punctatae'' (Loudon) Rehder, Man. Cult. Trees ed. 2. 365. 1940}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=318065 |title=''Crataegus'' Linnaeus (sect. ''Coccineae'') ser. ''Parvifoliae'' (Loudon) Rehder, Man. Cult. Trees ed. 2. 366. 1940}}</ref> The sections are:

*[[Crataegus sect. Brevispinae|section'' Brevispinae'']]
*[[Crataegus sect. Crataegus|section ''Crataegus'']]
*[[Crataegus sect. Coccineae|section ''Coccineae'']]
*[[Crataegus sect. Cuneatae|section ''Cuneatae'']]
*[[Crataegus sect. Douglasia|section ''Douglasia'']]
*[[Crataegus sect. Hupehensis|section ''Hupehensis'']]
*[[Crataegus sect. Macracanthae|section ''Macracanthae'']]
*[[Crataegus sect. Sanguineae|section ''Sanguineae'']]

===Selected species===
{{main|List of hawthorn species with yellow fruit|List of hawthorn species with black fruit}}
{{div col|colwidth=21em}}
*''[[Crataegus aemula]]'' – Rome hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus aestivalis]]'' – May hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus alabamensis]]'' – Alabama hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus altaica]]'' – Altai hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus ambigua]]'' – Russian hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus ambitiosa]]'' – Grand Rapids hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus anamesa]]'' – Fort Bend hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus ancisa]]'' – Mississippi hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus annosa]]'' – Phoenix City hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus aprica]]'' – sunny hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus arborea]]'' – Montgomery hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus arcana]]'' – Carolina hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus ater]]'' – Nashville hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus austromontana]]'' – valley head hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus azarolus]]'' – Azarole hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus berberifolia]]'' – barberry hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus biltmoreana]]'' – Biltmore hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus boyntonii]]'' – stinking hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus brachyacantha]]'' – blueberry hawthorn<ref>[http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Crataegus+brachyacantha ''Crataegus brachyacantha'' Sarg. & Engelm. Blueberry Hawthorn], Discover Life</ref><ref>[http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CRBR ''Crataegus brachyacantha'' Sarg. & Engelm. Show All blueberry hawthorn], USDA</ref>
*''[[Crataegus brainerdii]]'' – Brainerd's hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus calpodendron]]'' – late hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus canbyi]]''
*''[[Crataegus chlorosarca]]''
*''[[Crataegus chrysocarpa]]'' – fireberry hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus coccinea]]'' – scarlet hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus coccinioides]]'' – Kansas hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus collina]]'' – hillside hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus crus-galli]]'' – cockspur hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus cuneata]]'' – Japanese hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus cupulifera]]''
*''[[Crataegus dahurica]]''
*''[[Crataegus dilatata]]'' – broadleaf hawthorn, Apple-leaf hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus douglasii]]'' – black hawthorn, Douglas hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus ellwangeriana]]''
*''[[Crataegus erythropoda]]'' – cerro hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus flabellata]]'' – Gray's hawthorn, fanleaf hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus flava]]'' – yellow-fruited hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus fluviatilis]]''
*''[[Crataegus fontanesiana]]''
*''[[Crataegus greggiana]]'' – Gregg's hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus harbisonii]]'' – Harbison's hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus heldreichii]]''
*''[[Crataegus heterophylla]]'' – various-leaved hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus holmesiana]]'' – Holmes' hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus hupehensis]]''
*''[[Crataegus intricata]]'' – thicket hawthorn, intricate hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus iracunda]]'' – stolon–bearing hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus jackii]]''
*''[[Crataegus jonesae]]''
*''[[Crataegus kansuensis]]'' – Gansu hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus laevigata]]'' – Midland hawthorn, English hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus lassa]]'' – sandhill hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus lepida]]''
*''[[Crataegus macrosperma]]'' – big-fruit hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus marshallii]]'' – parsley-leaved hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus maximowiczii]]''
*''[[Crataegus mercerensis]]''
*''[[Crataegus mexicana]]'' – tejocote, Mexican hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus mollis]]'' – downy hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus monogyna]]'' – common hawthorn, oneseed hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus nigra]]'' – Hungarian hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus okanaganensis]]'' – Okanagan Valley hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus opaca]]'' – western mayhaw
*''[[Crataegus orientalis]]'' – oriental hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus pedicellata]]'' – scarlet hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus pennsylvanica]]'' – Pennsylvania thorn
*''[[Crataegus pentagyna]]'' – small-flowered black hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus peregrina]]''
*''[[Crataegus persimilis]]'' – plumleaf hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus phaenopyrum]]'' – Washington hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus phippsii]]''
*''[[Crataegus pinnatifida]]'' – Chinese hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus populnea]]'' – poplar hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus pratensis]]'' – prairie hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus pruinosa]]'' – frosted hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus pulcherrima]]'' – beautiful hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus punctata]]'' – dotted hawthorn, white hawthorn: sometimes claimed as the state flower of [[Missouri]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.50states.com/flower/missouri.htm |title=Missouri State Flower |work=50states.com |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref> though the legislation does not specify a species<ref name="mo.gov"/>
*''[[Crataegus purpurella]]'' – Loch Lomond hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus putnamiana]]''
*''[[Crataegus pycnoloba]]''
*''[[Crataegus reverchonii]]'' – Reverchon's hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus rhipidophylla]]''
*''[[Crataegus rivularis]]'' – river hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus saligna]]'' – willow hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus sanguinea]]'' – redhaw hawthorn, Siberian hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus sargentii]]'' – Sargent's hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus scabrida]]'' – rough hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus scabrifolia]]''
*''[[Crataegus songarica]]''
*''[[Crataegus spathulata]]'' – littlehip hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus submollis]]'' – Quebec hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus succulenta]]'' – fleshy hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus tanacetifolia]]'' – tansy–leaved thorn
*''[[Crataegus texana]]'' – Texas hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus tracyi]]'' – Tracy hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus triflora]]'' – three-flowered hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus uniflora]]'' – one-flowered hawthorn, dwarf hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus viridis]]'' – green hawthorn, including cultivar 'Winter King'
*''[[Crataegus visenda]]''
*''[[Crataegus vulsa]]'' – Alabama hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus wattiana]]'' – Altai hawthorn
*''[[Crataegus wilsonii]]'' – Wilson hawthorn
{{div col end}}

===Selected hybrids===
*[[Crataegus × ariifolia|''Crataegus'' × ''ariifolia'']] (= ''C.&nbsp;ariaefolia'')
*[[Crataegus dsungarica|''Crataegus'' × ''dsungarica'']]
*[[Crataegus × grignonensis|''Crataegus'' × ''grignonensis'']] – Grignon hawthorn, an unpublished name
*[[Crataegus × lavalleei|''Crataegus'' × ''lavalleei'']] – Lavallée hawthorn, including ''Crataegus'' × ''carrierei''
*[[Crataegus × macrocarpa|''Crataegus'' × ''macrocarpa'']]
*[[Crataegus × media|''Crataegus'' × ''media'']] – the name for ''C.&nbsp;monogyna'' × ''C.&nbsp;laevigata'' hybrids
*[[Crataegus × mordenensis|''Crataegus'' × ''mordenensis'']] – Morden hawthorn, including 'Toba' and 'Snowbird'
*[[Crataegus × sinaica|''Crataegus'' × ''sinaica'']] – ''za'rur''
*[[Crataegus × smithiana|''Crataegus'' × ''smithiana'']] – red Mexican hawthorn, an unpublished name
*[[Crataegus × vailiae|''Crataegus'' × ''vailiae'']]

=== Etymology ===
The generic epithet, ''Crataegus'', is derived from the Greek {{transliteration|grc|kratos}} "strength" because of the great strength of the wood and {{transliteration|grc|akis}} "sharp", referring to the thorns of some species.<ref>{{citation |author=Phipps, J. B. |title=Flora of North America North of Mexico |volume=9: Magnoliophyta: Picramniaceae to Rosaceae |pages=491–643 |year=2015 |editor1=L. Brouillet |chapter=Crataegus |chapter-url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=108272 |location=New York; Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-534029-7 |editor2=K. Gandhi |editor3=C. L. Howard |editor4=H. Jeude |editor5=R. W. Kiger |editor6=J. B. Phipps |editor7=A. C. Pryor |editor8=H. H. Schmidt |editor9=J. L. Strother |editor10=J. L. Zarucchi}} p. 491</ref> The name '''haw''', originally an [[Old English]] term for hedge (from the [[Anglo-Saxon]] term {{lang|ang|haguthorn}}, "a fence with thorns"),<ref name="bc" /> also applies to the fruit.<ref name="Phipps" />

== Ecology ==
Hawthorns provide food and shelter for many species of birds and [[mammal]]s, and the [[flower]]s are important for many nectar-feeding insects.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Common hawthorn {{!}} The Wildlife Trusts |url=https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/trees-and-shrubs/common-hawthorn |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=www.wildlifetrusts.org |language=en}}</ref> Hawthorns are also used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of a [[large number]] of [[Lepidoptera]] species, such as the small eggar moth, ''[[Eriogaster lanestris|E. lanestris]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Small Eggar {{!}} NatureSpot |url=https://www.naturespot.org.uk/node/133949#:~:text=The%20adults%20fly%20in%20February%20and%20March,%20but%20are%20seldom%20seen.&text=Larvae%20live%20gregariously%20in%20silken,a%20few%20localities%20in%20Wales. |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=www.naturespot.org.uk}}</ref> Haws are important for [[wildlife]] in winter, particularly [[thrush (bird)|thrushes]] and [[waxwing]]s; these birds eat the haws and disperse the [[seed]]s in their droppings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 plants for birds |url=https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/top-10-plants-for-birds/ |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=BBC Gardeners World Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Propagation ==
Although it is commonly stated that hawthorns can be propagated by cutting, this is difficult to achieve with rootless stem pieces. Small plants or suckers are often transplanted from the wild. Seeds require [[Stratification (botany)|stratification]] and take one or two years to germinate.<ref name="hortus">Bailey, L. H.; Bailey, E. Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. ''Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada''. Macmillan, New York.</ref> Seed germination is improved if the [[pyrena|pyrenes]] that contain the seed are subjected to extensive drying at room temperature, before stratification.<ref>[http://www.idpan.poznan.pl/index.php/content/-vol-47-supplement.html Bujarska-Borkowska, B. (2002) Breaking of seed dormancy, germination and seedling emergence of the common hawthorn (''Crataegus monogyna'' Jacq.). ''Dendrobiology''. 47(Supplement): 61–70.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004040552/http://www.idpan.poznan.pl/index.php/content/-vol-47-supplement.html|date=4 October 2011}}</ref> Uncommon forms can be [[grafting|grafted]] onto seedlings of other species.<ref name="hortus" />

==Uses==
===Culinary use===
[[File:2013-05-23 07 24 06 Crataegus monogyna 'Crimson Cloud' blossoms in Elko Nevada.jpg|thumb|upright|''Crataegus monogyna'' 'Crimson Cloud' in Elko, Nevada]]

The "haws" or fruits of the [[common hawthorn]], ''C.&nbsp;monogyna'', are edible. In the United Kingdom, they are sometimes used to make a [[Fruit preserves|jelly]] or [[Winemaking|homemade wine]].<ref name ="Wright">Wright, John (2010), [https://books.google.com/books?id=_E026S_SW_kC&dq=%22Hawthorn+%22bread+and+cheese%22&pg=PA73 ''Hedgerow: River Cottage Handbook''] Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, {{ISBN|978-1-4088-0185-7}} (pp. 73–74)</ref> The leaves are edible, and if picked in spring when still young, are tender enough to be used in salads.<ref>Richard Mabey, ''Food for Free'', Collins, October 2001.</ref> The young leaves and flower buds, which are also edible, are known as "bread and cheese" in rural England.<ref name ="Wright"/> In the southern United States, fruits of three native species are collectively known as [[mayhaw]]s and are made into jellies which are considered a delicacy. The [[Kutenai]] people of northwestern North America used red and black hawthorn fruit for food.

On [[Manitoulin Island]], Ontario, some red-fruited species are called hawberries. During colonisation, European settlers ate these fruits during the winter as the only remaining food supply. People born on the island are now called "[[haweater]]s".

The fruits of ''[[Crataegus mexicana|C.&nbsp;mexicana]]'' are known in Mexico as ''tejocotes'' and are eaten raw, cooked, or in jam during the winter. They are stuffed in the ''[[piñata]]s'' broken during the traditional pre-Christmas celebration known as ''[[Las Posadas]]''. They are also cooked with other fruits to prepare a Christmas punch. The mixture of ''tejocote'' paste, sugar and chili powder produces a popular Mexican candy called ''rielitos'', which is manufactured by several brands.

The 4&nbsp;cm fruits of the species ''[[Crataegus pinnatifida|C.&nbsp;pinnatifida]]'' (Chinese hawthorn) are tart, bright red and resemble small [[Malus|crabapple]] fruits. They are used to make many kinds of Chinese snacks, such as ''[[tanghulu]]'' — coated in sugar syrup and skewered – and [[haw flakes]]. The fruits, which are called 山楂 ''shān zhā'' in Chinese, are also used to produce jams, jellies, juices, alcoholic beverages and other drinks; these could in turn be used in other dishes (for instance, many older recipes for [[sweet and sour#Hong Kong/Cantonese|Cantonese sweet and sour sauce]] call for ''shānzhā'' jam). In South Korea, a liquor called ''sansachun'' (산사춘) is made from the fruits.

In Iran, the fruits of ''Crataegus'' (including ''[[Crataegus azarolus]]'' var. ''aronia'', as well as other species) are known as ''zâlzâlak'' and eaten raw as a snack, or made into a jam known by the same name.

The fruits of North America's ''[[Crataegus greggiana|C.&nbsp;greggiana]]'' are made into preserves.<ref>{{cite book |last=Little |first=Elbert L. |title=The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region |publisher=Knopf |location=New York |year=1980 |isbn=0-394-50760-6 |page=473}}</ref>

===Research===
A 2008 [[Cochrane Collaboration]] [[meta-analysis]] of previous studies concluded that evidence exists of "a&nbsp;significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes" for an [[extract]] of hawthorn used as an [[Adjuvant therapy|adjuvant]] in treating [[chronic heart failure]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Pittler MH, Guo R, Ernst E |title=Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure |journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |pages=CD005312 |date=23 January 2008 |volume=2013 |pmid=18254076 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD005312.pub2 |editor1-last=Guo |editor1-first=Ruoling |issue=1|pmc=11753770 }}</ref> A 2010 review<ref name=Tassell>{{cite journal |vauthors=Tassell M, Kingston R, Gilroy D, Lehane M, Furey A |year=2010 |title=Hawthorn (''Crataegus'' spp.) in the treatment of cardiovascular disease |journal=Pharmacognosy Reviews |volume=4 |issue=7 |pages=32–41 |pmc=3249900 |pmid=22228939 |doi=10.4103/0973-7847.65324 |doi-access=free }}</ref> concluded that "Crataegus [hawthorn] preparations hold significant potential as a useful remedy in the treatment of [[cardiovascular disease]]". The review indicated the need for further study of the best dosages and concluded that although "many different theoretical interactions between ''Crataegus'' and orthodox medications have been postulated ... none have [yet] been substantiated."<ref name=Tassell/>

[[Phytochemical]]s found in hawthorn include [[tannin]]s, [[flavonoid]]s, [[oligomeric proanthocyanidins]] and [[phenolic acid]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hawtho09.html |title=A Modern Herbal – Hawthorn |work=botanical.com |access-date=12 September 2015}}</ref>

===Traditional medicine===
Several species of hawthorn have been used in [[traditional medicine]]. The products used are often derived from ''C.&nbsp;monogyna'', ''[[Crataegus laevigata|C.&nbsp;laevigata]]'', or related ''Crataegus'' species, sometimes generally referred to as hawthorn without distinguishment.<ref name=Phipps/> The [[dried fruit]]s of ''C.&nbsp;pinnatifida'' (called ''shān zhā'' in Chinese) are used in [[traditional Chinese medicine]], primarily as a digestive aid. A closely related species, ''[[Crataegus cuneata|C.&nbsp;cuneata]]'' (Japanese hawthorn, called ''sanzashi'' in Japanese) is used in a similar manner. Other species (especially ''Crataegus laevigata'') are used in [[herbal medicine]] where the plant is believed to strengthen cardiovascular function.<ref name=itmonline>{{citation |author=Dharmananda S. |title=Hawthorn (''Crataegus''). Food and Medicine in China |publisher=Institute of Traditional Medicine Online |volume=January |year=2004 |url=http://www.itmonline.org/arts/crataegus.htm}}</ref>

The [[Kutenai people]] of northwestern North America used [[List of hawthorn species with black fruit#North American species|black hawthorn fruit]] ([[Kutenai language]]: kaǂa; approximate pronunciation: ''kasha'') for food, and red hawthorn fruit (Kutenai language: ǂupǂi; approximate pronunciation: ''shupshi'') in traditional medicine.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FirstVoices – Ktunaxa. Plants: medicine plants: words.|access-date=11 July 2012|url=http://www.firstvoices.ca/en/Ktunaxa/word-category/d2ad144298c3bbdb/--Plants---medicine-plants}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

====Side effects====
Overdose can cause [[cardiac arrhythmia]] and low blood pressure, while milder [[side effect]]s include [[nausea]] and [[dizziness]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69252.cfm#SideEffects |title=Hawthorn |publisher=Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |date=2019 |access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref> Patients taking [[digoxin]] should avoid taking hawthorn.<ref name=Dasgupta>{{cite journal |vauthors=Dasgupta A, Kidd L, Poindexter BJ, Bick RJ |date=August 2010 |title=Interference of hawthorn on serum digoxin measurements by immunoassays and pharmacodynamic interaction with digoxin |journal=Arch Pathol Lab Med |volume=134 |issue=8 |pages=1188–92 |pmid=20670141 |doi=10.5858/2009-0404-OA.1}}</ref><ref name=DigoxinStudy>{{cite journal |author1=Tankenow Roberta |author2=Tamer Helen R. |author3=Streetman Daniel S. |author4=Smith Scott G. |author5=Welton Janice L. |author6=Annesley Thomas |author7=Aaronson Keith D. |author8=Bleske Barry E. |year=2003 |title=Interaction Study between Digoxin and a Preparation of Hawthorn (''Crataegus oxyacantha'') |url=http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/97293/0091270003253417.pdf?sequence=1 |journal=J Clin Pharmacol |volume=43 |issue=6 |pages=637–642 |doi=10.1177/0091270003253417 |pmid=12817526 |hdl=2027.42/97293 |s2cid=9888330 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

===Landscaping===
Many species and hybrids are used as [[ornamental plant|ornamental]] and street trees. The common hawthorn is extensively used in Europe as a [[hedge (barrier)|hedge]] plant. During the [[British Agricultural Revolution]] in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, hawthorn saplings were mass propagated in nurseries to create the new field boundaries required by the [[Inclosure Acts]].<ref>Williamson, Tom (2013), [https://books.google.com/books?id=r9JBAgAAQBAJ&dq=hawthorn+enclosures&pg=PA104 ''An Environmental History of Wildlife in England 1650 – 1950''] Bloomsbury Academic, {{ISBN|978-1-4411-0863-0}} (p. 104)</ref> Several [[cultivar]]s of the Midland hawthorn ''C.&nbsp;laevigata'' have been selected for their pink or red flowers. Hawthorns are among the trees most recommended for water conservation landscapes.{{Citation needed|reason=in what part of the world? Not in dry parts of the US, where they grow only near water|date=May 2009}}

===Grafting===
{{Further|Grafting}}
[[File:Medlar rootstock.jpg|thumb|upright|Hawthorn [[rootstock]] on a [[Mespilus germanica|medlar]] tree in [[Totnes]], UK]]

Hawthorn can be used as a [[rootstock]] in the practice of grafting. It is graft-compatible with ''[[Mespilus]]'' (medlar) and with pear,<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Asheghi |first=M. Sajad |date=1 March 2022 |title=Phenotypic Diversity of Crataegus orientalis subsp. szovitsii (Pojark.) K.I.Chr. Population in Markazi Province, Iran |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10341-021-00605-2 |journal=Erwerbs-Obstbau |language=en |volume=64 |issue=1 |pages=69–74 |doi=10.1007/s10341-021-00605-2 |s2cid=243803560 |issn=1439-0302}}</ref> and makes a hardier rootstock than [[quince]], but the thorny [[Sucker (botany)|suckering]] habit of the hawthorn can be problematic.<ref name="Phipps" />

[[Seedling]]s of ''[[Crataegus monogyna]]'' have been used to graft multiple species on the same trunk, such as [[Crataegus × media|pink hawthorn]], pear tree and medlar, the result being trees which give pink and white flowers in May and fruits during the summer. "Chip [[budding]]" has also been performed on hawthorn trunks to have branches of several varieties on the same tree. Such trees can be seen in [[Vigo]], Spain, and in the northwest of France (mainly in [[Brittany]]).{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

===Bonsai===
Many species of hawthorn make excellent [[bonsai]] trees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/progressions/hawthorn |title=Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) progression |publisher=Bonsai Empire |date=2014 |access-date=2 October 2014}}</ref> They are grown and enjoyed for their display of flowers.

===Other uses===
The wood of some ''Crataegus'' species is hard and resistant to rot.<ref name="bc">{{cite web |title=Black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) |url=https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/blackhawthorn.htm |publisher=Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Government of British Columbia |access-date=12 April 2019 |date=2019}}</ref> In rural North America, it was prized for use as tool handles and fence posts.<ref name=pfaf/><ref name=bc/> [[First Nations in British Columbia|First Nations]] people of western Canada used the thorns for durable [[fish hook]]s and minor skin [[surgery|surgeries]].<ref name=bc/>

==In culture==
The [[Scots language|Scots]] saying "Ne'er cast a cloot til Mey's oot" conveys a warning not to shed any (clothes) before the summer has fully arrived and the mayflowers ([[Crataegus laevigata|hawthorn]] blossoms) are in full bloom.<ref name=ScuilWab>{{cite web |url=http://www.scuilwab.org.uk/WirdOTheMonth/May2004.htm |title=Scuil Wab: Wird O The Month – Mey |year=2003 |publisher=Scottish Language Dictionaries |access-date=28 May 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080604064059/http://www.scuilwab.org.uk/WirdOTheMonth/May2004.htm |archive-date = 4 June 2008}}</ref><ref name=PhraseFinder>{{cite web |url=http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/till-may-is-out.html |title=Ne'er cast a clout till May be out |publisher=The Phrase Finder |access-date=28 May 2008}}</ref>

The custom of employing the flowering branches for decorative purposes on 1 May is of very early origin, but since the adoption of the [[Gregorian calendar]] in 1752, the tree has rarely been in full bloom in England before the second week of that month. In the Scottish Highlands, the flowers may be seen as late as the middle of June. The hawthorn has been regarded as the emblem of hope, and its branches are stated to have been carried by the ancient Greeks in wedding processions, and to have been used by them to deck the altar of [[Hymenaios]]. The supposition that the tree was the source of Jesus's [[crown of thorns]] doubtless gave rise to the tradition among the French peasantry (current as late as 1911) that it utters groans and cries on [[Good Friday]], and probably also to the old popular superstition in Great Britain and Ireland that ill luck attended the uprooting of hawthorns. Branches of [[Glastonbury thorn]] (''C.&nbsp;monogyna'' 'Biflora',<ref name=Phipps/> sometimes called ''C.&nbsp;oxyacantha'' var. ''praecox''), which flowers both in December and in spring, were formerly highly valued in England, on account of the legend that the tree was originally the staff of [[Joseph of Arimathea]].<ref>{{EB1911|wstitle= Hawthorn (plant) |volume= 13 | pages = 101&ndash;102 }}</ref>

[[Robert Graves]], in his book ''[[The White Goddess]]'',<ref name=RGraves/> traces and reinterprets many European legends and myths in which the whitethorn (hawthorn), also called the May-tree, is central.

[[File:Crataegus in Germany, bluehender Weissdorn, Mai 2015.jpg|thumb|upright|Hawthorn trees demarcate a garden plot; according to [[legend]], they are strongly associated with the [[fairies]].]]

It was once said to heal the broken heart. In Ireland, the red fruit is, or was, called the Johnny MacGorey or Magory.

[[Serbs|Serbian]] folklore that spread across Balkan notes that hawthorn ([[Serbian language|Serbian]] ''глог'' or ''glog'') is essential to kill [[vampire]]s, and stakes used for their slaying must be made from the wood of the thorn tree.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espreso.rs/vesti/politika/317803/bivsi-ministar-policije-srbije-lovi-vampire-nekada-se-borio-sa-zemunskim-klanom-a-sada-drzi-glogov-kolac-u-rukama |title=BIVŠI MINISTAR POLICIJE SRBIJE LOVI VAMPIRE! Nekada se borio sa ZEMUNSKIM KLANOM, a sada drži glogov kolac u rukama | access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref>

In [[Gaels|Gaelic]] folklore, hawthorn (in [[Scottish Gaelic]], ''sgitheach'' and in Irish, ''sceach'') 'marks the entrance to the [[Other World|otherworld]]' and is strongly associated with the [[Fairy|fairies]].<ref name="Campbell">[[John Gregorson Campbell|Campbell, John Gregorson]] (1900, 1902, 2005) ''The Gaelic Otherworld''. Edited by Ronald Black. Edinburgh, Birlinn Ltd. {{ISBN|1-84158-207-7}} p. 345</ref> Lore has it that it is very unlucky to cut the tree at any time other than when it is in bloom; however, during this time, it is commonly cut and decorated as a May bush (see [[Beltane]]).<ref name="Danaher">[[Kevin Danaher|Danaher, Kevin]] (1972) ''The Year in Ireland: Irish Calendar Customs'' Dublin, Mercier. {{ISBN|1-85635-093-2}} pp. 86–127</ref> This warning persists to modern times; folklorist Bob Curran has questioned whether the ill luck of the [[DeLorean Motor Company]] was associated with the destruction of a fairy thorn to make way for a production facility.<ref>{{cite book |last=Monaghan |first=Patricia |title=The Red-Haired Girl from the Bog: The Landscape of Celtic Myth and Spirit |publisher=New World Library |date=11 March 2004 |page=67 |isbn=978-1-57731-458-5}}</ref>

The superstitious dread of harming hawthorn trees prevalent in Britain and Ireland may also be connected to an old belief that hawthorns, and more especially 'lone thorns' (self-seeded specimens standing in isolation from other trees) originate from [[lightning]] or [[thunderbolt]]s and give protection from lightning strikes.<ref>Hope, Alec Derwent, ''A Midsummer Eve's Dream: variations on a theme by [[William Dunbar]]'' pub. The Viking Press, New York 1970.</ref>

Hawthorn trees are often found beside [[clootie well]]s; at these types of holy wells, they are sometimes known as rag trees, for the strips of cloth which are tied to them as part of healing rituals.<ref name="Healy">Healy, Elizabeth (2002) ''In Search of Ireland's Holy Wells''. Dublin, Wolfhound Press {{ISBN|0-86327-865-5}} pp. 56–7, 69, 81</ref> 'When all fruit fails, welcome haws' was once a common expression in Ireland.

According to a medieval legend, the [[Glastonbury thorn]], ''C. monogyna'' 'Biflora', which flowers twice annually, was supposed to have [[Miracle|miraculously]] grown from a [[walking stick]] planted by [[Joseph of Arimathea]] at [[Glastonbury]] in Somerset, England. The original tree was destroyed in the sixteenth century during the [[English Reformation]], but several cultivars have survived. Since the reign of [[James I of Great Britain|King James I]], it has been a Christmas custom to send a sprig of Glastonbury thorn flowers to the [[British monarch|Sovereign]], which is used to decorate the royal family's dinner table.<ref>Palmer, Martin and Palmer, Nigel ( [https://books.google.com/books?id=ApJdpga6_LsC&dq=Joseph+of+Arimathea+%22glastonbury+thorn%22&pg=PA200 ''The Spiritual Traveler: England, Scotland, Wales : the Guide to Sacred Sites and Pilgrim Routes in Britain''], Hidden Spring, {{ISBN|1-58768-002-5}} (p. 200)</ref>

In the [[Victorian era]], the hawthorn represented [[hope]] in the [[language of flowers]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.languageofflowers.com/flowermeaning.htm |title=Language of Flowers – Flower Meanings, Flower Sentiments |website=www.languageofflowers.com |access-date=26 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124141728/http://languageofflowers.com/flowermeaning.htm |archive-date=24 November 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The hawthorn – species unspecified<ref name="mo.gov">{{cite web |url=http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C000-099/0100000030.HTM |title=Section 10-030 State floral emblem. |work=mo.gov |access-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022010815/http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C000-099/0100000030.HTM |archive-date=22 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> – is the [[List of U.S. state flowers|state flower]] of [[Missouri]]. The legislation designating it as such was introduced by [[Sarah Lucille Turner]], one of the first two women to serve in the [[Missouri House of Representatives]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.womenscouncil.org/cd_web/Turner.html |title=Sarah Lucille Turner |work=womenscouncil.org |access-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070303/https://www.womenscouncil.org/cd_web/Turner.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
{{Cite journal |last1=Khokhlova |first1=K. O. |last2=Zdoryk |first2=O. A. |last3=Sydora |first3=N. V. |last4=Shatrovska |first4=V. I. |date=1 November 2019 |title=Chromatographic Profiles Analysis of Fruits of L. Genus by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography |url=https://sciendo.com/article/10.2478/afpuc-2019-0020 |journal=European Pharmaceutical Journal |language=en |volume=66 |issue=2 |pages=45–51 |doi=10.2478/afpuc-2019-0020}}
{{Wikiquote|Hawthorn}}
{{Commons category|Crataegus}}
{{EB1911 poster|Hawthorn (plant)|Hawthorn}}

{{US state flowers}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q132557}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Crataegus| ]]
[[Category:Rosaceae genera]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort]]
[[Category:Angiosperm genera]]
[[Category:Edible plants]]