Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects

Crataegus douglasii

black hawthorn

At a Glance: large shrub or small tree with clusters of white flowers and dark purplish-black berries.

Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: Stems have large thorns (3 cm long); bark is grey, rough and scaly, often mottled with patches of lichen.
Leaves: Alternating arrangement. Leaves are quite thick and leathery; dark green above and paler green below; the top end of leaves has 5-9 lobes; saw-toothed margins; shape: oval; size: 3-6 cm (1.2-2.5 in) long.
Flowers: Stinky odor; 5 petals, 5 styles, 10-20 stamens; flowers are in clusters borne terminally or in leaf axis; primary color: white; size: 1 cm across.
Flowering Period: April, May.
Fruits: Berries containing large seeds and greenish pulp; persist through winter; fruits hang in cluster; shape: round; size: 1 cm long; color: blackish-purple.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
(data not available)	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status:	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

Berries

Seeds

Nectar for hummingbirds

Nectar for butterflies

Host for insect larvae

Thickets and shelter

Thorny or protective cover

Birds: Bird species that eat the berries include solitaires, robins, waxwings, grosbeaks, thrushes, woodpeckers, band-tailed pigeons, wood ducks, grouse, pheasants, and turkeys.
Insects: The leaves provide food for swallowtail butterfly larvae.
Mammals: Mammals that eat the berries include black bears, coyotes, and foxes. Rabbits and deer browse the twigs. The black hawthorn is resistant to beaver damage.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

(data not available)

Suggested References

Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 178.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 121.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 209.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 78.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 247.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 90.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 73.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.