The beautiful hawthorn (
Crataegus pulcherrima) has been in bloom this week. Since there aren't any big trees looming over it, the beautiful hawthorn stands out in the landscape. This rare beauty was purchased from Woodlanders Nursery (Aiken, South Carolina) in December 1997, and planted the following November. It's over 20 years old and very healthy. We are not expecting it to get much bigger.
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| The beautiful hawthorn is a splendid ornamental tree and this week it is shining. Throughout the winter the handsome trunk was exposed, and now this week we are seeing delicate new leaves and white flower clusters. |
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| This hawthorn grows near Cline Hall, on a slope in full sun. |
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| On a sunny day, we see dappled shade on the ground. The divided, twisting trunk has rough white-gray bark that flakes off to reveal orange inner bark. |
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| Unlike the Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana), new leaves and flower clusters of the beautiful hawthorn appear at the same time. |
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| Twig detail of new leaves and flowers. |
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| The simple, egg-shaped leaves have serrated margins. |
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| The delicate leaves are less than 2 inches in length. |
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| Unfortunately the bright white flower clusters have an unpleasant fragrance. |
You can see additional photos of this beautiful hawthorn
here.
For more information about this species consult the following sources:
Wild Flowers of the Escambia
United States Department of Agriculture (Zoom in on map to see the limited distribution)
Alabama Plant Atlas
