Bloomipedia
Hawthorns (Crataegus)
Photo: Summit Metro Parks via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Hawthorns

Crataegus

★ Official state flower of Missouri (1923)Native in the lower 48

Hawthorns is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

11states
53MO sightings*
17,331U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Missouri

🏅
Missouri's official state flower since 1923. Visit the Missouri page → Mo. Rev. Stat. § 10.030 The law names the hawthorn genus, Crataegus (“red haw” or “wild haw”), so this page covers the genus. Hawthorns are small trees, included because they're official.

Quick look

Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, Mayflower or hawberry, is a genus of several hundred species of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. The name "hawthorn" was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe, especially the common hawthorn C.

  • It belongs to the Rosaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 30 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 53 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #105 among the 109 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist

Hawthorns gift ideas

Handmade hawthorns gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,669 records)

There are only a handful of Missouri flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe
Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
Missouri
n/a Missouri's list is by species, so a whole genus isn't assessed. 3 CSR 10-4.111

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Haws” (Crataegus species), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records hawthorns in 11 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

More Missouri flowers

Sources