North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Crataegus spathulata

Crataegus spathulata Michx.

littlehip hawthorn

Image ID: 7618
Image by: Parkins, Grant Morrow
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: CRSP
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Crataegus spathulata
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2020-01-01

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: CRATA
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Crataegus
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Hawthorn
GENUS SUMMARY: [contributed by Ron Lance]
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: All references to leaves and petioles pertain to foliage on short shoots (floreal shoots), unless otherwise specified.
GENUS REFERENCES: Lance (2014)=X; Phipps in FNA (2014); Phipps (1988)=Z; Beadle in Small (1913)=Q; Phipps, O'Kennon, & Lance (2003)= V ; Phipps (1998)=Y; Phipps, Lance, & Dvorsky (2006)=U; Phipps, O’Kennon, & Dvorsky (2006)= N; Lance (1995); Kalkman in Kubitzki (2004).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ROSACE
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Rosaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Rose Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 85-95 genera and 2000-3000 species, trees, shrubs, and herbs, nearly cosmopolitan, but mainly boreal and temperate.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Phipps in FNA (2014); Potter et al. (2007); Eriksson et al. (2003); Kalkman in Kubitzki (2004); Ertter (2007).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 12-36 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Shrub, Tree

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Apr-May

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
		x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: southeastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Littlehip hawthorn is an attractive large native shrub to small tree with toothed, spoon-shaped leaves and spreading branches. Its leaves turn red to orange in the fall, and mature specimens also have beautiful honey-colored peeling bark, making it a striking ornamental species. Clusters of white flowers in the spring produce small, bright red edible fruits that are eaten by birds, and the thorny branches of littlehip hawthorn provide shelter for wildlife.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 7
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly, Bird Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
34	HORT	2005-03-21	Lance	View

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
83	2009-0020		34	View
7294	2000-0029	2000-01-31		View
7656	2001-0010	2001-03-26		View
7783	2001-0139	2001-06-27		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
111	83	48	Mixon	2013-08-01	View
10260	7294	172	NCBG staff	1997-07-01	View
10836	7656	81	NCBG staff	2001-02-15	View
10837	7656	89	NCBG staff	2001-02-15	View
10987	7783	6	NCBG staff	1986-01-01	View
12266	83	48	Mixon	2013-05-03	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: CRSP
USDA Common Name: Littlehip Hawthorn
Native Status: L48 (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Tree, Shrub

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FAC				FAC	FAC		FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
15240	S1S2	S1	G5	G5	W1

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Crataegus spathulata
COMMON NAME: Littlehip Hawthorn
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, FNA, G, K, Q, RAB, S, W, X, Y]
PHENOLOGY: Apr-May; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Bottomland forests, extending upslope to drier or rocky sites especially on mafic or calcareous substrates.
COMMENTS: C. NC south to Panhandle FL, west to e. TX, north in the interior to c. TN, sw. MO, e. OK; sporadic in e. TN, sw. NC. This species is distinctive for its small spatulate leaves (tending to be trilobed) and thin, flaking bark (multicolored green, brown, and brownish gray).
RANGE MAP:

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Rosaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Rose Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 85-95 genera and 2000-3000 species, trees, shrubs, and herbs, nearly cosmopolitan, but mainly boreal and temperate.
REFERENCE: Phipps in FNA (2014); Potter et al. (2007); Eriksson et al. (2003); Kalkman in Kubitzki (2004); Ertter (2007).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Crataegus L. (Hawthorn)
SUMMARY: [contributed by Ron Lance]
REFERENCE: Lance (2014)=X; Phipps in FNA (2014); Phipps (1988)=Z; Beadle in Small (1913)=Q; Phipps, O'Kennon, & Lance (2003)= V ; Phipps (1998)=Y; Phipps, Lance, & Dvorsky (2006)=U; Phipps, O’Kennon, & Dvorsky (2006)= N; Lance (1995); Kalkman in Kubitzki (2004).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Crataegus spathulata in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Crataegus spathulata in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Crataegus spathulata in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Crataegus spathulata in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Crataegus spathulata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Crataegus spathulata

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 7618 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 7618 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 7619 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 50764 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)