Bigfruit Hawthorn, is a native large shrub or small tree found in mesic or subxeric hardwood forests, wooded slopes, rock outcrops, pastures, thickets, mountain balds and rocky summits in the Piedmont and mountains of North Carolina. The tree may vary in shape and size and fruit production depending on where it is growing, because hybridization occurs easily with other hawthorns. Despite the common name, the fruit is not exceptionally large. Like most Hawthorns, bigfruit hawthorn has long straight thorns, white flowers that bloom in spring. and edible fruits in fall. This tree prefers a well-drained, moisture-retentive loamy soil but is not at all fussy and will tolerate clay soils. It also tolerates drought and wind, but does not do well with salt air. Fruiting is best in full sun. It will grow in partial shade, but that will impact the quantity and quality of the fruit. When grown from seed, the trees take 5 to 8 years before they start bearing fruit; grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year. The flowers have a smell like decaying fish that attracts midges, which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent. use in a pollinator or woodland garden or naturalized areas s a barrier or hedge. Diseases, Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant diseases or pests.
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.
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); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 26 ft. 0 in. | Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 26 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate; Undulate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
One to three inch oval to ovate leaves are sparse to densely glandular; base is rounded to cuneate, lobes 3 to 6 per side, apex acute to acuminate, margins serrate and irregulate in size.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
One of the earliest Hawthorns to bloom in the sprint, flowers bloom in April and May. Clusters of white flowers with 5 petals, 5-10 stamens and pink to reddish-purple anthers. Unpleasant odor attracts midges for fertilization.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small pome with 1 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Light Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The bark is thin and, on old stems, fissures with age in narrow scales.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
New growth golden green to strongly reddish tinged and glabrous. 1-year old stems usually shiny and dark brown, older stems with thorns.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Canada and central and eastern United States.
Distribution
AR, CT, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV Canada: NB, NL, NS, ON
Wildlife value
Important nectar flower for insects; food plant of many moths including the eggar moth; haws provide winter fruit for songbirds. It is a larval host plant for Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and Viceroy (Limenitis archippus). Good nesting habitat with thorns providing protection from predators.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit varies in size and quality, some forms having a thin yellow flesh that is juicy and acid while others have a much thicker flesh that is rather mealy but with a good flavor. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicines and herbals for cardiovascular health. The wood is strong, heavy, and hard but has little commercial value.