Scientific Name
Crataegus mollis
The downy hawthorn, native to most of the eastern U.S. and Canada, is planted far less today than in the past because of its stout, fearsome two-inch thorns that make it a hazard for unaware pedestrians or even those attempting to trim it. It’s one of the earliest hawthorns to grow its leaves and produce its somewhat foul-smelling flowers. It may drop its leaves prematurely because of foliage diseases, but that’s less of a problem in Denver than in more humid climates. Usually, the foliage lasts long enough to turn an attractive medley of gold into deep red in the fall. The leaves, up to 3 inches across, saw-toothed and often with pronounced lobes, are rather large for the genus and are typically downy when first emerging. The white flowers, roughly an inch in diameter, are also large for a hawthorn. The fruit, with an apple-like form, is red and around ¾ of an inch in diameter; it ripens in late summer and falls to the ground shortly thereafter where it’s later consumed by wildlife.
The form of this small tree is initially rounded but develops a wide-spreading densely branched horizontal structure as it matures, typically reaching a height near 25 feet with an equal spread. A few in Colorado have grown to a height of almost 40 feet. Downy hawthorn is tolerant of many soils and sun exposures. The commercial availability of various thornless (or minimally thornless) hawthorn varieties has made the use of downy hawthorn rare, but many older ones are still present in parks and other public spaces.