Description

The Washington Hawthorn is a true four-season star of the landscape. In spring, it dazzles with lacy clusters of white flowers; in summer, its distinctive, maple-like foliage provides deep green shade; in fall, the leaves blaze orange-red, and branches are weighed down with persistent, glossy red berries; and in winter, its silver-gray, exfoliating bark and elegant horizontal structure add sculptural interest. While its small fruits are beloved by birds, they are also suitable for human consumption in jellies. This tough, adaptable native tree is as practical as it is beautiful.

• Provides exceptional year-round ornamental value: spring flowers, summer foliage, fall color, winter berries and bark.

• Produces prolific, long-lasting clusters of small, brilliant red berries that attract and sustain birds through winter.

• Displays outstanding scarlet to orange-red fall foliage.

• Extremely hardy, adaptable to a wide range of soils, and tolerant of urban pollution and compaction.

• Features distinctive, glossy, lobed leaves that resemble maple leaves.

• A deciduous small tree with a dense, rounded crown and notable horizontal branching; possesses slender thorns.

Flavor Profile (of the Fruit):

• Flavor: Quite tart and astringent when raw; sweetens slightly after frost.

• Texture: Small and seedy with thin flesh.

• Primary Uses: Primarily an outstanding wildlife food source. The berries can be used to make a tart, flavorful jelly, but they are small and require effort to process.