Chinese hawthorn is a species native to Eastern Asia. Unlike most Hawthorns, this species has only a few short thorns and is more open and upright. Chinese hawthorn is easily grown and prefers a well-drained moist loamy soil. Once established, it succeeds in excessively moist soils and also tolerates drought and heavy clay soils. It prefers full sun, but will tolerate partial shade, although the amount of sun will determine the quantity of fruit. Trees grown from seed take from 5 to 8 years before they start bearing fruit; grafted trees often flower heavily in their third year. It display the flowers and provide the red berries common to the genus. The edible fruit in particular makes it attractive to birds. The flowers have an unpleasant smell somewhat like decaying fish, which attracts midges, the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent. It can be used in woodland and pollinator gardens and as a hedge. Diseases, Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 23 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 23 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Open
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are oval to wedge shaped, notched on the edges, 2 to 4 inches long with 5-9 lobes.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
White, 3/4 inch flowers in 3 inch clusters. Flower blooms from April to May. Initially an unpleasant odor, but turning more pleasant.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit size
< 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Globular, 3/4 inch light red fruit, edible, and attractive to birds.
Bark color
Light Gray
Bark detail
Bark is thin and gray. On old stems, it breaks up into narrow scales.
Stem detail
Multi-stemmed, twiggy branches.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Russian Far East to China and Japan
Distribution
Northern China and Korea
Wildlife value
This plant provides nectar for pollinators. It is a larval host plant for Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and Viceroy (Limenitis archippus). Red-spotted Purple and Viceroy rarely use this host plant in North Carolina.
The fruit is edible, raw or cooked, with a pleasant flavor. The orange fruit has a mealy texture with an acid taste and a slight bitterness but is fairly nice raw. It ripens fairly late. The fruit can be used in making pies, preserves, etc, and can also be dried for later use. In China, the fruit is an ingredient used in sweet and sour sauce.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The wood is strong, heavy, tough, and hard, but has little commercial value.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border; Flowering Tree; Hedge
Garden tags
#deciduous #fire low flammability #non-toxic for cats #non-toxic for horses #non-toxic for dogs #red-spotted purple butterfly #nectar plant mid-spring #larval host plant #gray hairstreak butterfly #viceroy butterflies #nectar plant late spring #butterfly friendly #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly