Eastern Mayhaw, Apple Hawthorn

Description

Is an Eastern Mayhaw/Apple Hawthorn right for you?

**** Important note: Sorry, No Sales to Western, Territories, or Phyto-certificate states due to shipping restrictions in your state (Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Utah, and Idaho)

The Eastern Mayhaw is a very special native plant that offers beauty and purpose with its edible berries that are perfect for jams, jellies, and baked goods too! The fruit looks a lot like a cranberry but has a fruity and tart flavor.  The tartness is often too strong for many people freshly picked so that’s why most people opt to use it in preserves and other goodies. Mayhaw juices and syrups are also considered quite the treat for those who love it.

Apple Hawthorns were originally found in wet woods, coastal plains, and swampy land, making these a fantastic choice for those hard-to-landscape areas that get and stay wet. What makes these extra special is how adaptable they are to most conditions!

✅ Botanical name: Crataegus aestivalis

✅ Growing zones: 6-11

✅ Mature size: 10-40 feet tall and 35 to 40 feet wide but is slow growing

✅ Spacing: 20-30 feet apart if planted in multiples

✅ Sunlight: Prefers 6+ hours daily but can tolerate less (3+ hours)

✅ Soil: Not fussy at all but does like well-draining. Apple Hawthorn can even tolerate occasional flooding, frequent standing water, but can eventually adapt to drier sites too. It’s a very easy-going native tree. These qualities make them excellent for erosion control too.

✅ Water requirements: Their preference is for wet soil. However, once established (after a year or so), they can even handle drier conditions. Watering 2x per week if no rain should be plenty, but more (or less) may be needed at times .

✅ Pruning: Experts believe these should be trained as a single-trunk tree, removing anything that is lower to the ground than 4-5 feet. This helps make for easier harvesting of the hawthorn fruit. In late winter, you can also trim back the inner portion of the trees to allow airflow and light, similar to peach trees. The overall shape should look like an upside-down umbrella.

✅ Fertilizing: “Established trees should receive one pound of 5-10-10 slow release fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter in February or early March. Repeat the application in late August or early September if the trees are not vigorous and if adequate water is available to prevent scorching. One year-old trees should receive 1/2 pound of 5-10-10 in February and 1/4 pound in March and May. Broadcast the fertilizer evenly under the tree to avoid burning the roots. Do not apply fertilizer within eight inches of the trunk.”  instructs Texas A&M.

✅ Eastern Mayhaw trees can be susceptible to quince rust. Eastern Red Cedar trees are the host for this fungus, so if you have those around, you may want to keep this into consideration. Applying a fungicide when the mayhaw blooms can help. Otherwise, these are very hardy, disease and pest resistant plants.

✅ Apple hawthorns have long and straight thorns so you may need glove protection when harvesting.

✅ Many people find the blooms on this tree to be so ornamental that they plant them in place of the showy dogwoods! The stunningly gorgeous white flowers cover these branches in early spring. That flower show makes way for the red berries that are ripe in summer, from June to July. These native trees are as ornamental as they are edible.

🐝 🦋 🦌 🐦‍⬛: By far one of the most impressive qualities of Eastern Mayhaw is its value for wildlife and pollinators. According to NC State, “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. Deer will browse the stems.” It’s a safe haven for wildlife of all kinds. 

You honestly can’t go wrong with this more uncommon native.  It’s beautiful, it has delicious fruit, and it provides so much value to the ecosystem. It’s also mostly low-maintenance, making this the perfect choice for those edible landscaping plans of yours. 🙂 Don’t blame me when you fall in love!

If you have any questions, I’m here to help the best I can! As a small family nursery, my goal is to offer the “personal touch” to show you that we care about your business. Customer service, and your support, sincerely matter to us. Thanks for looking!

*Price reflects the rareness of this tree.