- Crataegus laevigata in white and red
- flower differences
- More or less fruiting
- Use depending on habit
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The same leaves, the same strong thorns, the same suitability for hedges - hawthorn and hawthorn have something in common. And they are basically the same. Would you like to know exactly? Here is a slightly more detailed explanation.
Hawthorn flowers pink, hawthorn flowers white
Crataegus laevigata in white and red
To give a brief overview: hawthorn varieties with red flowers are called hawthorn. They differ mainly in the following points:
- flower color and shape
- fruiting
- use in the garden
flower differences
Crataegus laevigata is the name of the two-pronged hawthorn in botanical jargon. And this is what we primarily refer to when differentiating between hawthorn and hawthorn. The term hawthorn alone makes things complicated: It is not a clear variety designation, but an umbrella term for all red-flowering Crataegus varieties. And there are de facto red-flowering variants of the intervening hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna.
However, only the cultivated form 'Paul's Scarlet' of the two-pronged hawthorn is regarded as a real hawthorn. It has the typical, three to five lobed leaves of its white-flowering ancestor and delights with small, rose-like, double umbelliferous flowers in fresh crimson. Other varieties of hawthorn also have single flowers. Hawthorns also have umbelliferous inflorescences, but they are unfilled.
In this article, we refrain from further differentiation of the approximately 200 to 300 variants of hawthorns and hawthorns - the very self-crossing Crataegus genus poses challenges even for botanists when identifying the species.
More or less fruiting
Apart from the most obvious difference in flower shape and colour, redthorn and hawthorn also contrast with each other when it comes to fruiting. Hawthorn had to leave a few stamens behind for the increased abundance and color of the petals - the result is less fertilization potential. Even if the red umbels of flowers are very attractive to insects, they rarely produce fruit and if they do, then only sparsely.
The hawthorn, on the other hand, is really bursting with its brick-red, mealy, sweet and sour apple fruits, which are well suited for processing into mush, jam or juice. Because of the slightly sour taste, however, a combination with sweeter fruit is recommended.
Use depending on habit
The hawthorn is often planted as a solitaire in gardens and parks, not only because of its more eye-catching flower colour, but also because of its slightly taller, more tree-like growth. Hawthorns, on the other hand, are mainly used as hedge plants, for which they are also ideally suited because of their richly branched and thorny character.