Large-anthered Hawthorn

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Large-anthered hawthorn (lat. Crataegus macracantha) - a representative of the genus Hawthorn of the Pink family. Another name is large-thorn hawthorn. Natural range - North America. It grows near rivers and lakes, on slopes and in areas with rich calcareous soils. Currently it is cultivated in Ukraine, the Baltic States, Belarus and the European part of Russia.

Characteristics of culture

Large-anthered hawthorn is a shrub or tree up to 6 m high with a rounded slightly asymmetrical crown and a trunk covered with light brown or gray bark. Young shoots are shiny, chestnut brown, branches are curved, gray. Leaves are dark green with shine, obovate or broadly ovate, shallowly lobed in the upper part, pubescent below. With the onset of autumn, the foliage becomes yellow-red and does not fall off for a long time, delighting those around with its beauty, therefore the plants are ideal for automnals (gardens of autumn flowers).

The flowers are small, white, collected in multiflorous corymbose inflorescences, sitting on long thin pedicels. Fruits are bright red, large, spherical or almost spherical, numerous, remain on the branches for a long time, look spectacular against the background of autumn foliage. The flesh of the fruit is edible, somewhat mealy, slightly dryish, has a dark yellow color. Flowering in large-anthered hawthorn occurs in late May - early June and lasts about 10 days. The fruits ripen in September, with favorable growing conditions and a sunny location in August.

A distinctive feature of the species under consideration is the presence of long and thick thorns, which make thickets of trees or shrubs impassable, for this very reason, in many countries, plants are used to create hedges. The large-anthered hawthorn is relatively frost-resistant, but it is not particularly popular in central Russia.

The subtleties of growing

Large-anthered hawthorn prefers moderately moist, well-drained, fertile, lime-containing soils. It blooms more abundantly and actively develops in open sunny areas, however, it tolerates light shading. It does not accept strongly acidic, waterlogged and clayey substrates, it also lags behind in growth and is often affected by pests and diseases in waterlogged areas. Otherwise, large-anthered hawthorn is unpretentious.

The species in question is propagated most often by stratified seeds and cuttings. Seed germination is 60-70%, rooting rate of cuttings is only 20% (subject to treatment with growth stimulants), but even this result is very good, because all other species take root either do not take root at all, or up to 10%.

Gardeners most often grow crops by planting 2-3-year-old seedlings purchased from specialized nurseries. Disembarkation is carried out in spring or autumn. The depth of the planting pit is 70-80 cm, the width is 50-60 cm. The distance between the plants is 2 m, when a hedge is formed - 1.5 m. The root collar is not buried when planting a seedling, leaving it above the ground.

After planting, abundant watering and mulching of the near-stem zone with dry soil or peat is recommended; other organic materials can also be used. To accelerate the survival rate of the seedling, it is advisable to add mineral and organic fertilizers to the soil removed from the pit, the amount of which depends solely on the fertility of the soil. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the planting pit (broken brick, crushed stone, gravel or pebbles). Drainage layer at least 15 cm.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests are often visited by large-anthered hawthorn. Powdery mildew is considered one of the most common diseases; it weakens plants and slows down growth. Powdery mildew most often affects the leaves, leaving a white spiderweb bloom on them, which later becomes more dense and grayish. To combat the disease, it is enough to remove the affected leaves and burn the plant debris.

Often, large-anthered hawthorn is affected by a fungal disease called rust. It manifests itself on the leaves in the form of yellow-red pustules, which eventually turn into hairy outgrowths. The shoots of the hawthorn species in question are susceptible to phomosis. At the first stage, the disease does not manifest itself, and then pronounced sulfur pycnidia appear on the shoots. Shoots affected by fomoz, over time, begin to dry out and eventually die off.

Among the dangerous pests, the apple comma-shaped scabbard should be noted. The scale insect is a small sucking insect, the body of which is covered with a brownish-brown shield, similar to a comma. Insects lay eggs at the end of flowering, and larvae appear on the branches, which are tightly attached to the bark. With a strong defeat, the shoots dry out and die off. Karbofos, actellik, aktara and fufanon are effective against the larvae of the scale insect. Also, a danger to culture is represented by: hawthorn kidney mite, mealybug, fruit sawflies, weevils, etc.