Crataegus sp.

PESTS:
In addition to the pests Brent mentioned, Malus sylvestris (as well as the
Ginkos, Hawthorns, Quinces and probably other Malus species) seem to have a
severe *allergy* to junipers.  Being that junipers are a rather popular
bonsai specimen comes this reminder: JUNIPERS AND APPLES DO NOT MIX!
Silly me, in the middle of trying to shelter some Ginkos and a meticulously
raft coiled crab apple from a severe storm this past summer, I tucked them
under a large garden juniper.  Any leaf or branch which came in contact
with the juniper, shriveled-up and died within a couple of days.   I
mentally kicked and cursed my ownself for that careless act.  I should know
better, but I do forget when rushed.  I am lucky that I noticed the
infections right away and was able to save the Ginkos and the dragon crab.
Only one end coil of the dragon crab died, and I was able to start a new
coil to replace the one that died.

Hi!  Just testing the commnet feature - it's a nice idea!

  Please add the Parsely Leafed Hawthorn (Crataegus marshalli) to your
list of hawthornes for tree of the week summary; there is a 7 tree forest of
these trees in the National Arboretum American Collection, styled by Marian
Borchers of the Tampa area.  This information can be published in the Tree
Care FAQ to be republished for general distribution.
        Information is from personal and local club experience, plus from "A
Dictionary of Trees", First Edition, by Fred Walden, p 49.
        These trees grow in swampy areas here and along the St. Mary's River
as far north as Folkston, Georgia, where several of mine were collected by
shovel vaulting from one high spot to another to reach the little high spot
the tree and its seedlings were growing on, much to the amusement of the
other club members on the collecting trip.  (The book says the range is from
south to central Florida).  They grow 15 to 18 feet tall in the wild with
crooked trunks, grayish-brown, smooth, flaky bark that exfoliates exposing
inner patches of bark, irregular crowns and small angular branches with
twigs thar have slender spines.  They have parsely-shaped leaves with
variable amounts of notching in the feathery leaves that are glossy green
with lighter undersides.  Flowers are 1/2 inch wide with 5 white petals and
pinkish stamens in clusters on short hairy stems, appearing in the early
spring.  The edible fruit is 1/2 inch long, ripens in late summer, and is
bright yellowish-red with up to 3 seeds in each fruit.
        As bonsai:  if one dries out even once, it is dead.  They root from
cuttings of soft and hard wood easily, as well as air layer.  Seedlings can
be collected easily. Larger plants can be collected while dormant in winter.
These plants do well on pebble trays to prevent drying out in dry weather.
We havn't collected seeds or tried sprouting them.  Freeze hardiness is not
known for certain; potted seedings were protected from weather below 40F and
a well rooted hardwood cutting died this winter after the week of
unprotected 19F weather  on the ground under the bonsai benches covered with
plastic.  The trees grow in understory conditions, similar to Dogwood, so we
have been providing part shade to the bonsai. We have not tried wiring or
repotting locally yet.  Pinching produces twigs easily

Cathy
Jacksonville, FL

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Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 09:38:48 -0500
From: Jesse Verellen 

At 08:44 AM 7/30/96 GMT, you wrote:
>Crataegus crus-galli: cockspur thorn - White 1/2 inch flowers
>        follow the leaves in spring.  It has dull red fruit, and
>        excellent wine-red fall color.This hawthorne grows to 25
>        feet, with 4 inch (!!!) long thorns, and is hardy in
>        zones 4-6.

Also known as.. "Hog-apple" or "Newcastle thorn". Fruit persists until
following spring.

>Crataegus marshalli: parsley-leaved hawthorn - a very small tree,
>        growing only 15-18 feet in its natural habitat, the
>        marshy areas of Florida and Southern Georgia.  Parsley-
>        shaped leaves, exfoliating grayish-brown bark, 1/2 inch
>        white flowers, edible yellowish-red fruit.  The least
>        hardy of the hawthorns, it is probably best to keep C.
>        marshalii from freezing.

Trunk diameter rarely exceeds 4" in the wild.

>Crataegus mollis: downy hawthorn - a common tree in US parks and
>        cities, this tree gets its name from the downy
>        undersides of its leaves.  It grows to 30 feet.
Fruit of this one is scarlet or crimson with dark dots and is also edible.

>Crataegus punctata: dotted hawthorn

Grows to 30 feet. 1/2-3/4 inch 5 petaled white flowers appear in compact,
hairy clusters in late spring.
Fruit is dull red to yellow with whitish dots. These fruits (nutlets) mature
and fall in autumn.
Habitat: Moist soils of valleys and rocky upland slopes, especially on
limestone.
>Crataegus succulenta: fleshy hawthorn

AKA "Long-spine Hawthorn" or "Succulent Hawthorn" It grows to 20 feet and
has bright red fruits which mature in autumn.

>Crataegus viridis: Winter King hawthorn, green hawthorn -
>        Rich green foliage, white flowers in late spring and
>        orange-red fruit until late winter.  This large hawthorn
>        grows to 40 feet, and its spreading habit can be equally
>        as wide.  Exfoliating bark.  Hardy in zones 5-8.

AKA "Southern Hawthorn" This one likes to keep its "feet" wet.

(The additional information comes from NAS Field Guide to North American 
Trees.)
Jesse Verellen
Nashville, TN
Bonsai is a matter of life and limb.

=================================================================

Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 12:18:32 -0400
From: cathy 

At 20:48 7/30/96, you wrote:
>Just a brief comment.  I have found the parsley haw (C. marshalii) to
>be extremely difficult (almost impossible) to transplant from the wild.
>--
>Jim Lewis--

Hi Jim,
The Jacksonville club has had some help doing things like collecting trees
from a retired forester in Waycross, Georgia.  He took us into the
collecting area in the summer to locate potensai while we could all identify
them easily with their leaves on them; we marked the trees we wanted with
pink plastic tape and came back for them in the winter when they were
dormant.  The 8 seedlinge 4 inches high that I brought back did well- except
when 2 were accidentally allowed to dry out and died.  Cuttings 1/2 inch in
diameter rooted and did well.  I lost the rooted cutting this last winter
when I did not realise that it was as tender as is was and left it under the
bench which was covered with clear plastic during the week of 19F. The
seedlings were (luckily) on one of the roll-around carts with tropical
cuttings put into the garage, and were spared.  I don't recall using mist on
them, although I did have an operating mist bed then.  It would not hurt for
a week or 2, just after collecting them.  I just called Waycross and Archie
does not use mist on his; he just keets them in the shade all the time and
keeps them moist at all times.
Hope this helps.

Cathy
Jacksonville, FL

=================================================================
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 19:58:22 GMT
From: Jim Harwood 

> At 20:48 7/30/96, you wrote:
> >Just a brief comment.  I have found the parsley haw (C. marshalii) to
> >be extremely difficult (almost impossible) to transplant from the wild.
> >--
> >Jim Lewis--


Jim,

Don't give up just yet.  Yes they are tough!! but I have had one in my 
grow-on
bed for two years that has a 3+ trunk and was 7 to 8 ft. tall when I 
collected
it.  And yes the top has reduced itself somewhat, but is now stabilized (I
think/hope).  I'll finish working the top and maybe get it into a 
training pot
next year.  Other than requiring a fungicide spray periodically, it has been
quite healthy.
Good luck,

Jim Harwood central Ark