Species Profile
Northern Downy Hawthorn
Crataegus submollis Sarg.
About Northern Downy Hawthorn in Alberta
Northern downy hawthorn is a thorny, often heavily fruiting shrub or small tree of eastern North America. In Alberta it is an introduced cultivated possibility rather than a documented native wild species. Its large, often hairy leaves, frequently glandular and hairy leaf stalks, white spring flowers, and red, somewhat hairy pomes with prominent upright-spreading sepals make a distinctive combination. The persistent calyx is especially useful in fall, but a confident identification requires several characters observed together because other hawthorns overlap. [Flora of North America (FNA)](https://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100176); [Kew Plants of the World Online (POWO)](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A69044-2).
Identification: Leaves are deciduous, simple, and alternate. FNA describes the blade as broadly ovate to rhombic-elliptic, papery-firm, and 4-9 cm long, occasionally 11 cm. The base ranges from wedge-shaped to almost flat across; the tip is acute to somewhat blunt. There are usually 3-5 lobes on each side, although the lobes can be obscure on small leaves. Sinuses are shallow to moderately deep, and the lobe tips taper to a point. Five to seven lateral veins occur on each side. The margin is sharply and doubly serrate: larger leaves have teeth about 2-3 mm long, at least initially tipped with glands. These leaf dimensions and lobe counts overlap other hawthorns, so compare a series of mature leaves from both short shoots and vigorous shoots. [FNA](https://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100176).
Alberta range and habitat: The documented native range lies in eastern Canada and the north-central and northeastern United States. FNA lists New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, with a range extending through the Great Lakes to New England. POWO gives a comparable eastern range and reports introductions in parts of Europe. Neither establishes native Alberta populations. [FNA](https://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100176); [POWO](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A69044-2).
| Common name | Northern Downy Hawthorn |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Crataegus submollis Sarg. |
| Family | Rosaceae. VASCAN places it in section Coccineae, series Molles. [VASCAN](https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/name/Crataegus%20submollis). |
| Alberta status | Introduced in the sense of cultivated plant material. A native or naturalized Alberta population is not established by the available distribution accounts. An Alberta recommendation under the historical name *C. arnoldiana* shows horticultural interest, but it does not count planted specimens or confirm a particular tree. [FNA](https://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100176); [POWO](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A69044-2); [Alberta Tree Species Rating Guide](https://treecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Alberta-Tree-Species-Rating-Guide.pdf). |