Mayhaw, Apple haw, River-flat hawthorn, Western mayhaw
Crataegus opaca

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A small tree. It has a reasonably tall trunk. The crown is rounded. The tree is 9 m high. The trunk is 20 cm across. The bark is dark reddish-brown and cracked and scaly. The leaves are 5-6 cm long and 1.2-2.5 cm wide. They are oval but narrow from the middle to the tip. There are fine teeth along the edge. The leaves are covered with grey hairs when young. They are dark green above and with rusty hairs underneath. The flowers are 2.5 cm wide and with 5 white petals. The fruit are 15 mm across and round and shiny red. They have pale dots. They are slightly sour and edible.

There are 200 or more Crataegus species.

Where it is found

Temperate. They grow in mature stands in wet soils of riverbanks.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, North America, USA

How it is used for food

The fruit are used for preserves and jellies.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. The seed need cold treatment. Plants can also be grafted.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Crataegus nudiflora Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray;