Hawthorn trees

Hawthorns form the genus Crataegus, and are a diverse range of hardy trees, adaptable to many situations - including urban and coastal planting. All have excellent spring blossom displays, and most have attractive autumn fruitlet colours.

Many hawthorns provide a useful food resource for wildlife, and a small number have edible fruitlets which can be used for fruit jellies.

If you have rabbits in the vicinity be sure to protect the trees, as rabbits like to eat young hawthorn bark.

If planting 1-year bare-root hawthorns, cut the main stem at about 1.5m - 1.75m to stimulate side shoots the following year. Pot-grown trees have already had this formative training at the nursery and do not need pruning.