Grid reference | ST 18034 78358 |
Common name | Red haw |
Common name | Scarlet thorn |
Common name | Downy hawthorn |
Alternative name | Crataegus coccinea var. mollis |
Origin | East North America |
Deciduous | Yes |
Status | Rare |
Map section | Y |
Planted | by Malcolm Frazer c.1995 |
Height | 6M April 2021 |
Girth | Inaccessible |
Reference | 661 |
This tree is at the south end, the more southerly of the two Crataegus mollis trees roughly in the centre of map section Y.
Its foliage seems to be of two different kinds and the reason is unclear. (This also applies to the other C. mollis nearby.) Both trees were purchased from the same supplier. They were probably grown via grafting and it is quite possible that Crataegus monogyna root stock was used.
Unfortunately it is not possible to gain access to the lower trunk, but it appears that the trunk is multi-stem and that the C. monogyna and C. mollis are growing on different stems. In support of this, one set of leaves and flower buds bear a good resemblance to C. monogyna. By mid/late May the C. mollis flowers had dropped and the C. monogyna flowers prevailed.
The measured height given above is that of the composite tree with no reference as to whether the apex is C. mollis or C. monogyna.
The images below are captioned to differentiate between C. mollis and C. monogyna.
The following table gives the approximate physical measurements of examined haws together with the number of pips found within them.
Diameter mm | Length mm | No. of pips |
---|---|---|
14 | 16 | 6 |
16 | 17 | 6 |
These are the characteristics of the Crataegus mollis fruit. The first haw was taken in early October 2021 and the second in mid November 2021. Haws on this tree were scarce.
General tree description
Crataegus mollis is a small, wide-spreading tree up to 10 to 12 metres tall, with grey-brown scaly bark. Older stems may have thorns 2.5 to 5cm long. The leaves are big and broadly ovate - up to 12cm long and almost as wide. They are pointed and sharply toothed, with four to seven shallow lobes, and rounded or heart-shaped at the base. Both surfaces are downy. The flowers are white, 2.5cm across, and have about 20 stamens with pale yellow anthers. The fruits are red downy haws, up to 25mm long, containing four or five pips.