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Champion Information:
Height (Ft): 40
Circumference (In): 36
Average Crown Spread (Ft): 30
Total Points: 84
Nominator Name: Dave Powell
Location: Union County, GPS Longitude: 117° 55.967' W, GPS Latitude: 45° 44.108' N
Species Information:
Uses
Erosion Control: Because it tolerates a wide variety of sites, black hawthorn can be planted to stabilize banks, for shelterbelts, and for erosion control along ditches and highways.
Timber: Although the wood is hard and strong, it has no commercial value
except for tool handles and other small items.
Wildlife: It provides abundant food and cover for game birds such as the blue
and sharp-tailed grouse. The mule deer,
small mammals and other wildlife species feed on the leaves and twigs of young
seedlings or trees. Livestock readily
eats its leaves if accessible.
Beautification: Ideal for biological barriers between
recreational areas and physical structures.
Status
Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.
Description
It is a large shrub or small tree that can grow to thirty-five feet tall, with straight, strong but few thorns ranging from 0.5 to 1 inch long. Stems are usually clustered from the base or from a point just above the ground surface. Leaves are smooth, long, broad, dark green, shiny, and serrated at the tip. Flowers are globe-shaped and in small clusters produced in the spring. Its fruits are dark reddish-purple to black.
Distribution: Crataegus douglasii, black hawthorn, is widespread in the Pacific Northwest, from southeastern Alaska south through British Columbia to northern California.
Adaptation
Black hawthorn generally occurs on deep, moist, fine-textured soils, at lower elevations ranging from 2,200–5,400 ft. Although it will succeed in partial shade and different soil types, it grows best in full sunlight with sufficient moisture levels. It is predominantly an understory species and seldom found in pure stands. It is fire tolerant and will re-sprout and produce suckers following fire disturbance.
Management
Because it develops long taproot, it should not be kept in seedbeds more than one year. Pruning should be done in the winter or early spring in order to maintain a clear shoot leader on young trees and/or remove the weakest branches to allow more light to pass through. Suckers or stems arising from the roots should be removed when they become noticeable. Limited agriculture/livestock can help maintain and protect black hawthorn thickets as important source of food and cover for wildlife.
Pest and Potential Problems
Although pests and diseases seldom affect it, it is susceptible to fireblight, cedar-hawthorn rust, cedar-quince rust, leaf blight, fruit rot, and leaf spot.
From Plant Database: www.plants.usda.gov
