Cockspur hawthorn | The Morton Arboretum

Cockspur hawthorn is a Chicago-area native that provides white flowers in spring and persistent fruit in fall and winter. This species should be used with care as it has long thorns and is prone to disease. Spring flowers, persistent red fruit, and the orange-red fall color of this Midwestern native make it a nice addition to the four-season landscape.

This species is native to the Chicago region according to Swink and Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research.

Family (English) Rose
Family (botanic) Rosaceae
Planting site Residential and parks
Tree or plant type Tree
Foliage Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)
Native locale Chicago area, Illinois, North America
Size range Small tree (15-25 feet), Medium tree (25-40 feet)
Mature height 20-30 feet
Mature width 20-35 feet
Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily)
Hardiness zones Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7
Soil preference Moist, well-drained soil
Tolerances Alkaline soil, Dry sites, Occasional drought
Season of interest early winter, midwinter, early spring, mid spring, late spring, late summer, early fall, mid fall, late fall
Flower color and fragrance White
Shape or form Broad, Round
Growth rate Moderate
Transplants well No
Planting considerations Dangerous thorns
Wildlife Game birds, Migrant birds, Nesting birds, Songbirds
Has cultivars Yes

Size and form:

Rounded with horizontal branching, cockspur hawthorn achieves 20 to 25 feet high and 25 feet wide at maturity.

Native geographic location and habitat:

C-Value: 2. Native to eastern and southeastern United States as well as eastern Canada. Common in pastures, forest edges, and thickets.

Bark color and texture:

Bark is rough and slightly shaggy with age. This plant has 2 to 3 inch long thorns on the stems.

Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, and texture:

Simple, alternate leaves are 1 to 4 inches long. They are a dark, glossy green, rounded at the tip and narrow at the base. Fall color is purplish.

Flower arrangement, shape, and size:

Flowers are unpleasantly scented. The small, creamy white flowers bloom in broad, flat clusters in late spring.

Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions:

This tree yields persistent red fruits (pomes).

Plant care:

Cockspur hawthorn requires full sun in well-drained soil. It is tolerant of high pH soil and clay. Proper siting of this tree is important. When planted in front of evergreens, the persistent berries on the tree create a winter effect. This species tree also has very long thorns which can cause injury. The cultivars are nearly thornless.

List of pests, diseases, tolerances and resistance:

Cedar-rust diseases, fire blight, leaf spots, scale insects, and mites can be a problem. Tolerant of black walnut toxicity, salt spray, drought, and air pollution.

This plant is a cultivar of a species that is native to the Chicago Region according to Swink and Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research. Cultivars are plants produced in cultivation by selective breeding or via vegetative propagation from wild plants identified to have desirable traits.