Cock-Spur Hawthorn

Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District

Cock-Spur Hawthorn
Crataegus crus-galli [C-value 2]
Rose family (Rosaceae)
Blooms mid-May - mid-June

The native Cock-Spur Hawthorn is common in our area. It prefers full sun and slightly moist to slightly dry conditions. It is a large shrub or small tree up to 25' tall. The short trunk is up to 12" across with gray scaly bark. Usually there are thorns up to 3" long, often slightly curved, on the trunk, twigs and young shoots. Alternate finely toothed leathery leaves, distinctively oblanceolate, up to 3" long and 1½" across, occur along the shoots. Flat-headed panicles of flowers about 2-3" across are produced from leaf axils. Each flower is up to ½" across with 5 white spreading petals with an unpleasant (rotten fish) scent. Fertile flowers are replaced by seed pomes ("apples") up to ½" across that become red at maturity.

Cock-Spur Hawthorn at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve May 25, 2015

Cock-Spur Hawthorn at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve May 24, 2017

Cock-Spur Hawthorn "spurs" at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve May 24, 2017

Cock-Spur Hawthorn at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve May 24, 2017

Cock-Spur Hawthorn pomes ("apples") at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve October 8, 2017

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