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Alabama Hawthorn

Crataegus alabamensis (krah-TEE-gus al-uh-bam-EN-sis)

Family: Rosaceae Unknown Understory

Alabama hawthorn is a native deciduous shrub or small tree in southern central Alabama and northern Florida, and found in pine and oak forests in clay soils. This plant grows 16 to 20 feet tall with weeping branches and long, straight thorns. Its dark green leaves are thick, rough, broadly oblong to cuneate with toothed margins. Small, fragrant, white flowers appear from March to April, and red pomes are produced from July to August. It is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae). The genus name Crataegus is derived from the Greek word kratos , meaning strength, and refers to the plant's hardwood. The specific epithet, alabamensis, is Latin, meaning "of Alabama." Prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soils, but this specimen tends to thrive in clay soils in its native habitat. This plant provides a nesting habitat for birds, and its thorny branches are an added protection. Alabama Hawthorn is a host plant for the larvae of the Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) , Red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) , and the Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) butterflies. Consider this shrub or small tree as a specimen, hedge, or group planting. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Monitor for aphids, scale, borers, lace bugs, and caterpillars. May be susceptible to fire blight, rust, leaf spot, leaf blight, powdery mildew, and cankers.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 61 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Crataegus intricata Crataegus macrosperma Crataegus pruinosa

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading; Vase
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cuneate; Oblong
Leaf margin
Crenate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy; Rough
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The leaves are borne on hairy, slender petioles. Each leaf is 2 to 3 inches long, broadly oblong to cuneate, thick with crenate to serrate margins. There are 3 to 5 veins on each side of the leaf. The upper surface is shiny, and the lower surface is only hairy along the veins.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Inflorescence with 3-6 flowers, hypanthium hairy and white. Flowers bloom from March to April. The fragrance of the flowers may be pleasant to some, and unpleasant to others.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is a small red pome with 1 to 5 pyrenes, resembling the “stones” in related plums and peaches. Sometimes they are called the ‘haw’. Fruits appear from July to August.
Bark color
Black; Dark Gray; Light Gray
Bark detail
Thin, smooth, gray bark that becomes black with age. On old stems, it breaks up into narrow scales.
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Stem detail
New growth is densely tomentose. One-year-old twigs are dark gray, and slender spines are present.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South Central Alabama and Northern Florida
Distribution
Native: Alabama and Florida
Wildlife value
Important nectar flower for insects; food plant of many moths including the eggar moth; haws provide winter fruit for songbirds. This plant provides nectar for other 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. Good nesting habitat with thorns providing protection from predators.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Host plant for
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Edible fruit; Wildlife Cover/Habitat; Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Nesting
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Pome

Uses (ethnobotany)

The wood is strong, heavy, and hard, but rarely used in commercial applications. The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicines and herbals for cardiovascular health.

Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Garden; Winter Garden
Garden tags
#native shrub #edible fruits #nectar plant #deciduous #small tree #shrub #Braham Arboretum #moth caterpillar host #bird friendly #white flowers #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #red-spotted purple butterfly #nectar plant mid-spring #larval host plant #gray hairstreak butterfly #viceroy butterflies #nectar plant late spring #butterfly friendly #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly #hortcontest #winter cover #nesting site #spring flowers #summer interest #red fruits
Problems & Resistance
Propagation
Seed
Fire risk
low flammability

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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