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Crataegus spathulata
Littlehip Hawthorn
Florida native
An occasional deciduous shrub or small tree of moist to wet hammocks and stream banks in the central panhandle counties of Liberty, Gadsden, Jackson and Holmes, plus Okaloosa County in the western panhandle. The range extends throughout the southeastern United States, west into Texas and Oklahoma, and north to Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Virginia.
Growing to about 8 m (26 ft.) tall with brownish bark that strips off in thin plates. Littlehip hawthorn often has sharp thorns along slightly zigzag branches. Leaves are alternate, simple, broadest above the middle and tapering towards the base, from 1-4 cm (3/8 - 1-1/5 in.) long with mostly crenate margins. Leaves near the ends of branches may by larger and three lobed. Flowers are in dense, showy clusters, white to pink, 7-10 mm (1/4 - 3/8 in.) wide, with triangular petals. The fruit is round, bright red and 4-7 mm (1/8 - 1/4 in.) in diameter.
Crataegus spathulata is a member of the Rosaceae - Rose family.
Other species of the Crataegus genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Crataegus aestivalis - MAY HAW
Crataegus flava - YELLOWLEAF HAWTHORN
Crataegus marshallii - PARSLEY HAWTHORN
Crataegus michauxii - MICHAUX'S HAWTHORN
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Aug 07, 2016
