Douglas Hawthorn Seeds (Crataegus douglasii)

Our native western (and Great Lakes region) hawthorn is a tree of exceptional uses! 

• While the small black fruit is edible (in haw jelly, etc.), its high pectin content makes it especially useful for combining in preserves with other fruits.
• The hardness of the wood itself also makes this a useful little tree for various small timber crafts.
• Douglas hawthorn further excels as a wildlife tree supporting numerous pollinators, bird nesting cover, and food for native butterfly and moth larva.
• And, it is a functional and useful grafting rootstock for apples and especially pears – allowing fruit to be grown in sites where fragile traditional fruit rootstocks do not thrive (including excessively drained and seasonally flooded soils). 

So why grow this lovely little thorn-tree from seed? 

Well, planted out in rows, it forms an exceptional hedgerow, especially when combined with roses, snowberries, and crabapples. Additionally, seed-grown plants also provide excellent grafting material when intended for fruit tree rootstock production. 

Douglas hawthorn seed generally grows best with cold-moist stratification, although we have some that have sprouted perfectly fine without any pre-treatment or cold exposure.

While this is not a fast-growing tree, it is exceptionally tough and able to withstand many abuses! It is cold hardy through about USDA zone 3 (e.g. central coast Alaska!), and achieves a mature height of around 25 to 30 feet. 

Approximately 50 Seeds (3.0 grams)