Crataegus spathulata Michaux. Common name: Littlehip Hawthorn. Phenology: Apr-May; Sep-Oct. Habitat: Scrubland, pine-oak woodlands, bottomland forests, rocky uplands over mafic or calcareous substrates, oak savannas. Distribution: Se. VA and c. NC south to panhandle FL, west to e. TX, north in the interior to c. TN, sw. MO, e. OK; sporadic in TN, sw. NC.
ID notes: This species is distinctive for its small, spatulate leaves (tending to be trilobed) and thin, flaking bark of the main trunk (multicolored green, brown, gray and yellowish).
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, FNA9, G, Il, K1, K3, NcTx, RAB, S, S13, Tn, W, Lance (2014), Phipps (1998)
Links to other floras: = Crataegus spathulata - FNA9
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC
- Great Plains: FAC
- Midwest: FACW
Heliophily ⓘ: 7
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Height: 12-36 ft.
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.
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native range: southeastern United States