Thorn Apple Crataegus nitida
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Thorn Apple:
- Phonetic Spelling
- kre-TEE-gus NI-ti-duh
- Description
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Crataegus, or Hawthorn, is a genus of a small tree or shrub that includes many species and varieties found throughout the Southeast from the eastern swamps and river bottoms to the western mountain ridges. Crataegus nitida, or Glossy Hawthorn, is a tree found primarily along the Mississippi River floodplain although it is becoming rare. It has a dense rounded crown which is often irregular in appearance, with lower limbs sweeping outwards under the erect upper limbs. It also can be found growing as a multi-trunk shrub. The stems can have up to 2-inch long thorns although they are sometimes stunted or not present. It grows in slightly acidic to alkaline clay to gritty sandy soils in sun to light shade.
The 2-inch racemes of white flowers can be showy although they don't have a pleasant odor. The leaves are glossy and have a red-orange fall color. The red fruit is edible and sometimes used for jellies.
Glossy Hawthorn grows well in moist, well-drained soils in full sun. It tolerates a wide range of soil, including clay, light shade, some drought, and urban pollutants. Although this tree is drought and pollution tolerant, it is not a great landscape tree due to its susceptibility to disease and insects. It is best used in native restorations. It can also be pruned to a low height and, with its formidable thorns, used as a barrier plant on property borders or in hedges.
Insect, Disease, and Plant Problems:
Fireblight and rusts can be problematic with this species, as can various borers and mites. Thorns can present a hazard to children.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Crataegus
- Species:
- nitida
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The wood is strong, hard, and heavy, but has little commercial value.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Northern and Eastern United States
- Distribution:
- AR, IL, MO, OH, PA, TN, WI
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant provides nectar for pollinators. It is a larval host plant for Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and Viceroy (Limenitis archippus). Red-spotted Purple and Viceroy rarely use this host plant in North Carolina.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- The edible fruit are eaten by birds much more than by humans.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Horizontal
- Multi-stemmed
- Multi-trunked
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
- Appendage:
- Thorns
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Pome
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 3/8 inch rounded reddish fruits ripen in the fall and may persist till spring. Enjoyed by birds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Dome
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- White dome-shaped flowers in corymbs of 10 to 20 blooms appear in April-May and have an unpleasant odor that attracts midges for fertilization. Individual flowers are 1/2 inch long.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Lobed
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The alternate 1 to 3 inch leaves are elliptic to oblong-obovate. The margins are coarsely serrated and slightly lobed, while the apex is acuminate and the base cuneate. The leaf undersides are paler than their dark green upper surfaces. Fall color is orange-red.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Scaly
- Bark Description:
- Bark is thin and gray. Mature trunk bark broken into gray-brown plate-like scales.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stems are chestnut brown and sometimes have thorns depending on their age.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Flowering Tree
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Screen/Privacy
- Security
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Fire
- Pollution
- Problems:
- Problem for Children
- Spines/Thorns