Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Green hawthorn
Crataegus viridis
Whole tree — Crataegus viridis. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadePhoto by David J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Problems to recognize in WNC gardens. These are documented susceptibilities, not a local outbreak report or a diagnosis. Weather, elevation and growing conditions change the risk.
Diseases & similar-looking injury
Cedar-hawthorn rust, fire blight and occasional leaf spots can occur.
Insects to recognize
Scale, lace bugs, leafminers and borers may occur.
When to look
Look for rust and damaged shoots in spring and leaf injury through summer.
A useful first step
Check nearby junipers when rust appears and seek a diagnosis for blackened shoots or branch death.
More growing details
Read the leaves
Simple alternate leaves have teeth and may show shallow lobes. Look at several shoots; thorns can be sparse.
Read the bark
Older bark flakes to show patches of gray, tan, and orange.
Fruit & seed
Small red apple-like fruits often remain in winter; the calyx is visible at the tip.
Winter character
Persistent red fruits and exfoliating older bark offer winter clues.
Origin & place
Green hawthorn is chiefly a lowland southeastern species; NC records in the southern mountains are very sparse.
WNC Notes
A native hawthorn with variable garden forms. Allow room for its mature crown and inspect rust and shoot blight when symptoms appear.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
20–35
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
20–35
BLOOM SEASON
Late spring
BLOOM COLOR
Catkins
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Red-purple; red fruit-brown
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate–high
Drought Tolerance
Low
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
Whole tree — Crataegus viridis. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadePhoto by David J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.green hawthorn leaves with flowers. The photographic source identifies; inspect the shallow lobes and toothed margins.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadePhoto by David J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
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