OUR STATE FLOWER, the hawthorn, is solidly represented
in Missouri. There are approximately 100 different kinds of hawthorn which occupy
almost every kind of soil in every part of the state. A member of the rose family,
it is closely related to the apple.
It is a pasture tree. Cattle shun it because of its thorny branches. Songbirds love it though for those same branches. The flat, thorny branches offer protected nesting sites and the berries are an important fall and winter food.
Hawthorn occurs most often as a small, shrubby tree; it often has two or more trunks. The short, stunted appearance gives the impression that the tree never had a chance to grow to full maturity.
The fruit occurs in clusters on long stems attached to the twig and ripens in late fall well before the first frost. The fruit resembles very small crab apples and is a source of food for squirrels, raccoon, opossum, quail, wild turkey, deer, ruffed grouse, robin and purple finch.
The leaves, shed in winter, are borne alternate
and are simple. They are for the most part toothed. The flower resembles an
apple flower but is white and much smaller.
Like the apple, it is an alternate host for cedar-apple rust disease. Some trees are more susceptible than others. By late summer many leaves are discolored with yellow and brown spots caused by the fungus. On ornamental cedars and junipers the disease can be controlled by spraying.
In identifying this tree, various characteristics are key features. The bark is dark and scaled on the trunk. The limbs contain sharp thorns about 1 1/2 inches long which are slightly curved. The fruit is like an apple but contains much less pulp.
Hawthorn is primarily a wildlife tree. Occasionally
it is used for ornamental purposes on lawns where the white and sometimes pinkish
blossoms and red fruits offer two seasons of beauty. In some areas, abandoned
fields are rapidly taken over by hawthorn. Because of this feature, it is not
always welcomed by farmers.
