Habitat

• native range is Virginia to Alabama
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a medium-sized deciduous tree
• 25' to 30' tall
• 20' to 25' wide
• broad, rounded tree
• medium texture

Summer Foliage

• simple, lobed leaves
• alternate leaf arrangement
• leaves emerge reddish and mature to a dark green
• serrated leaf margins
• 1" to 3" long
• about two-thirds as wide
• subcordate leaf base

Autumn Foliage

• orange to red fall color
• moderately showy

Flowers

• white flowers
• 0.5" in diameter
• blooms early in June
• short bloom time only 7 to 10 days

Fruit

• a red pome
• 0.25" in diameter
• matures Sept. to October
• persist through the winter
• birds eat fruit

Bark

• stems are slender and brown
• 1" to 3" long thorns along stems
• mature bark is "apple-like"

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

• 1" to 3" long thorns along stems
• a medium-sized deciduous tree
• 25' to 30' tall and 20' to 25' wide
• broad, rounded tree
• simple, lobed leaves

Propagation

• by cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

'Fastigiata' and 'Princeton Sentry' (Princeton Sentry™) - These are fastigiate forms with columnar habits, to 30' tall and 20' wide. 'Princeton Sentry' has almost thornless branches.

'Vaughn' (also seen as x 'Vaughnii') - A hybrid with C. crusgalli, this small tree has exceptional red fruit that is long-lasting and borne profusely. There are different reports concerning its disease susceptibility, however, with some claiming heavy incidence of rust.