Crataegus marshallii
Eggl.
Rosaceae
The taxonomy of Crataegus species has historically been very confused, with over 1,200 different species recognized by some authors in the past. This number has been gradually and very significantly reduced, especially since the publication of several regional studies carried out since the late 1980's, and current thinking is that the final number could be below 150 distinct species[
New Trees
Grimshaw J.; Bayton R.; Wilks H.
Kew Publishing; London
Provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on over 800 tree species that have been introduced to cultivation in recent decades.
]. Many of the genera that were included in this database prior to 2017 will now be treated as synonyms or subspecies, and it is likely that a number of other currently accepted species will also receive that fate once a complete revision of the genus (underway in 2015) has been published.
Crataegus apiifolia (Marshall) Michx.
Mespilus apiifolia Marshall
Common Name: Parsley-Leaved Hawthorn
Crataegus marshallii is a thorny, deciduous shrub or small tree; it can grow 2 - 10 metres tall. The plant has a single trunk that occasionally reaches 20cm in diameter, usually branching from low down[
Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol 85
http://www.mobot.org
Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis, Missouri
A botanical journal containing a range of articles
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials. It is often grown as an ornamental in southern USA, but is little grown elsewhere[
Southeastern N. America - Oklahoma to Illinois and Virginia, south to Texas and Florida
Along streams and the borders of swamps[
An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Dover Publications. New York.
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
]. Also found in hummocks in pine barrens near the coast[
]. Acidic sandy soils, woods and roadsides in Texas[
Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
Botanical Research Institute, Texas.
An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
Pollinators Midges
Crataegus marshallii is not hardy in all parts of Britain, it usually succeeds outdoors for a number of years at Kew, but is killed in severe winters there[
]. It does not seem to fruit well in Britain[
]. Plants obtained from the more northerly parts of its distribution are more hardy, with some forms reputed to tolerate temperatures falling to around -25°c when dormant[
Crataegus species are generally very easily cultivated plants, growing best in full sun to medium shade and preferring a well-drained but moisture retentive loamy soil, though they are not usually fussy[
]. This species succeeds in both quite wet and obviously well-drained soils[
]. Once established, many species can tolerate a range of difficult conditions including drought; excessively moist soils; limy soils; exposed, windy, maritime conditions; and atmospheric pollution[
]. Notes on the plants habitat above may give more ideas on this[
Trees growing in a sunny position generally produce more and better quality fruit than trees growing in the shade[
The plant has been described as a superior ornamental, having small, deply lobed leaves, white flowers with red anthers, shining scarlet fruits and an attractive exfoliating bark[
Crataegus species often hybridize freely with other members of the genus[
]. This statement is not fully accurate; at least in the wild most Crataegus species usually breed true and only occasionally hybridize - in addition, any hybrids are usually putative[
http://www.mbgpress.org
A botanical journal, containing a range of articles
Many Crataegus species are very variable with regard to fruit size and quality. Seedlings, even if obtained from a good fruiting form, can often be disappointing - though they can also be an improvement on the original form. The most reliable way of obtaining a good fruiting form is by grafting from a known good tree, or obtaining a named cultivar from a reliable source[
Seedling trees take from 5 - 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year[
Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted[
The flowers have a foetid smell somewhat like decaying fish. This attracts midges which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones[
Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
Facciola. S.
Kampong Publications
0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
]. The flesh is mealy when ripe[
]. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use. About 7.5mm in diameter[
] with a thin flesh[
Trees of North Texas
Vines. R.A.
University of Texas Press.
A readable guide to the area, it contains descriptions of the plants and their habitats with quite a bit of information on plant uses.
]. There are up to three fairly large seeds in the centre of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed[
Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic[
A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
Houghton Mifflin Co.
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
]. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure[
]. Prolonged use is necessary for it to be efficacious[
]. It is normally used either as a tea or a tincture[
The plant is sometimes used as a dwarfing rootstock for Crataegus aestivalis and Crataegus opaca[
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
Wood - heavy, hard, strong, close-grained[
]. It weighs 46lb per cubic foot[
]. It has no particular commercial value[
], though it is useful for making tool handles, mallets and other small items[
The wood of Crataegus species is generally of good quality, though it is often of too small a size to be of much value. It usually has a red-brown heartwood with a thick band of lighter-coloured, usually pale sapwood. The wood is heavy, extremely hard, tough and close-grained. Where wood of suficient diameter is found it is often greatly prized for use in turnery, and has traditionally been used for purposes such as making tool handles, mallets and other small items[
Hawthorns and Medlars
Phipps J.B.; O'Kennon R.J. & Lance R.W.
Timber Press; Portland
An excellent guide to some of the better known Crataegus species, plus quite a few less well-known. It also contains some information on the Medlar.
Seed - this is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame, some of the seed will germinate in the spring, though most will probably take another year. Stored seed can be very slow and erratic to germinate, it should be warm stratified for 3 months at 15°c and then cold stratified for another 3 months at 4°c[
]. It may still take another 18 months to germinate[
]. Scarifying the seed before stratifying it might reduce this time[
]. Fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also speed up the germination process[
]. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (as soon as the embryo has fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens) and sow it immediately in a cold frame. If timed well, it can germinate in the spring[
]. If you are only growing small quantities of plants, it is best to pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in individual pots for their first year, planting them out in late spring into nursery beds or their final positions. When growing larger quantities, it might be best to sow them directly outdoors in a seedbed, but with protection from mice and other seed-eating creatures. Grow them on in the seedbed until large enough to plant out, but undercut the roots if they are to be left undisturbed for more than two years.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2019-07-15. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Crataegus+marshallii>