Flower profile

Hawthorns

Crataegus

Hawthorns (Crataegus) is a tree in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

★ 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 where USDA records it

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.
From Wikipedia's article Crataegus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 #113 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. ^iNaturalist

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.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

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.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Hawthorns a high shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.7 to 7.6 and winter lows down to -43 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 5.7 to 7.6
Minimum temperature tolerated: -43 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 90
Annual precipitation range: 24 to 36 inches
Minimum root depth: 24 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Red · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CRAN6. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Crataegus arnoldiana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 3 counties across 1 states; the most are in New York (3).

Other Crataegus on Bloomipedia (4): Common hawthorn, Parsley hawthorn, Black hawthorn, Green hawthorn.

More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry.

More Missouri flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in MO: April–June

Mock strawberry

Potentilla indica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MO: April–May

Multiflora rose

Rosa multiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MO: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CRAN6.
iNaturalist, Crataegus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Crataegus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 10.030: Missouri state flower.
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Summit Metro Parks via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.