Waxy-fruited hawthorn is a native shrubby tree in the rose family found over much of the Eastern United States and Canada. It can be variable depending on the part of the country it is found and is sometime considered more than one species. It tends to grow in woodland margins, rocky hillsides, stream banks and roadsides. The species name pruinosa refers to the waxy bloom or frosting on the fruits. Like most Hawthorns, waxy-fruited hawthorn, has 2.5 inch long, straight thorns, white flowers that occur in Spring, and fruit that matures to red and has a whitish waxy coating. The tree branches irregularly and widely and reaches a height of 20 feet with a trunk up to 8 inches across. Waxy-fruited Hawthorn is easy to grow and prefers full or partial sun in well-drained but moist or wet soil conditions in loam or clay-loam soil with some rocky materials. Siting the plant in full sun will encourage fruit quantity, with lower yields in shaded conditions. When grown from seed, trees take from 5 to 8 years before they start bearing fruit; grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year. It tolerates strong winds and drought, but does not do well in maritime conditions with exposure to salt air. This tree is difficult to find sold commercially. Use the shrub as a hedge or barrier in pollinator gardens or naturalized areas. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: Cedar-apple rust can discolor and weaken the foliage.
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
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Dense; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Deltoid; Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate; Lobed
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The oval, or wedge-shaped, alternate leaves are 1¼ to 2½ inches long and 1 to 2 inches across, oval-ovate or oval-deltate in shape and widest below the middle. The stems are ¾ to 2 inches in length, green to reddish and hairless. The tip is broadly pointed and base is rounded. Margins are shallowly lobed with 3 to 4 lobes on both sides and doubly serrated. Undersides are pale.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Short-stalked corymbs in the axils of leaves; few flowers per corymb. 3/4 to 1 inch across, 5 petals, 20 stamens with usually pink anthers. Flower blooms from April to May. Unpleasant odor, which attracts midges for fertilization.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Small reddish to purplish pome with 3 to 5 pyrenes that resemble the “stones” in related plums, peaches, etc. Sometimes called the ‘haw’.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
Thin gray bark, rough and scaly, fissuring into narrow scales with age.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Young twigs are red-brown, smooth and usually zig-zagged.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Canada and Eastern United States
Distribution
AR , CT , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Wildlife value
Important nectar flower for insects and other pollinators; food plant of many moths including the eggar moth; haws provide winter fruit for songbirds and mammals. 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
Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The flesh is thick, sweet and yellow. The fruit can be used for pies, preserves, and can dried for later use.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The leaves, berries, and flowers are used in medicines and herbals for cardiovascular health. Wood is strong, heavy, and hard, but with little commercial value.