Northern Downy Hawthorn

About Northern Downy Hawthorn in Alberta

Northern downy hawthorn is a thorny, heavily fruiting shrub or small tree native to eastern North America. In Alberta it is a cultivated, introduced possibility rather than a documented native wild species. Its large, often hairy leaves, hairy and sometimes glandular petioles, white spring flowers, and red hairy pomes with prominent upright-spreading sepals form a useful identification combination. The conspicuous sepals strongly support this identification when the other characters agree, but they do not identify the species alone.

Identification: Leaves are simple, alternate, and deciduous. The blade is broadly ovate to rhombic-elliptic, papery-firm, and usually 4-9 cm long, occasionally 11 cm. Its base ranges from wedge-shaped to almost truncate; its apex is acute to somewhat blunt. There are usually 3-5 lobes on each side, although lobes can be obscure on smaller leaves. Sinuses are shallow to moderately deep. Lobe tips are acuminate, tapering to a point. Five to seven lateral veins occur on each side. The margin is sharply doubly serrate; on larger leaves, teeth can be 2-3 mm long and are at least initially gland-tipped.

Alberta range and habitat: The native range is in eastern Canada and the north-central and northeastern United States. Flora of North America lists New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec and describes a range from eastern Wisconsin and northern Michigan through the Great Lakes to New England. Kew also gives an eastern native range and records introductions in parts of Europe. Neither account establishes native Alberta populations.