Habitat

• native to Canada down through the Dakotas and Virginia
• hardy to zone 3

Habit and Form

• a deciduous tree
• 20' to 30' tall
• rounded, wide-spreading tree crown
• slow growth rate
• medium texture

Summer Foliage

• alternate leaf arrangement
• simple, deciduous leaves
• 2" to 4" long
• lobed, pointed
• double, sharp serrated margins
• medium green leaf color
• pubescent underside

Autumn Foliage

• yellow to bronze fall color

Flowers

• white flowers
• blooms in early May
• flowers borne in corymbs of 3" to 4" diameters

Fruit

• a red pome
• 1" in diameter
• matures late August
• birds eat the fruit

Bark

• grayish brown bark
• apple-like
• zigzag stem pattern
• 2" long thorns along branches

Culture

• easy to grow
• prefers moist, fertile soil
• prune tolerant
• full sun is best

Landscape Use

• specimen tree
• screen border
• prune into hedge

Liabilities

• thorns can be hazardous
• tends to have many pest problems similar to apple trees

ID Features

• 2" long thorns along stems
• a medium-sized deciduous tree
• 20' to 30' tall
• broad, rounded tree
• pointed lobed leaves
• simple, alternate leaves

Propagation

• by cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

• none