The little known Hawthorn
“Copy Cat” is not necessarily a bad term. If an idea is good, and in the public domain, why not adapt it for yourself? After all, many great buildings followed the Parthenon and the first pan of lasagne, thankfully, wasn’t the last.
Likely 60 or more years ago, it seems, someone found a little known Hawthorn, Crataegus X lavallei and planted a majestic line of them in the parking strip on the west side of McGilvra Boulevard’s 1200 block. Later, someone copied the idea, planting the same tree that you’ll see on the corner, west side of Starbucks on Madison Street. Now these trees are scattered around Madison and Washington Parks, bringing a cheerful magic to winter in our neighborhood. Surprisingly, this tree is little known in other parts of our city, yet one more thing which makes our enclave by the lake special.
In general Hawthorns are prized for their Spring bloom, often white, sometimes pink or rose, which appear after the small, deeply cut leaves have emerged. Tiny apple-like fruits follow in late summer and fall. These can hold on into winter. A number of cultivated varieties are known for their autumnal color, but most Hawthorns have twiggy, somewhat erratic growth and aren’t attractive in winter. Carriere Hawthorn is different. A cross between Crataegus mexicana and C. calpodendron, it is densely clothed in leathery dark green leaves of elongated ovals. The blooms are white, handsome but not particularly showy compared to its cousins, but the tree makes up for its paucity of spring spectacle at this time of year. Numerous large clusters of deep orange to red fruits, each the size of a marble, appear all over the plant. Backed against the almost glossy leaves, they pop in the gentle, sinking light of the season. The leaves can hang on well into winter. When temperatures get frosty, they turn bronze. With a freeze the tree defoliates, but the fruits hang on, frequently on hand to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. But the merits don’t end there.
Topping out at a manageable height for small gardens, Carriere Hawthorn grows to 25 feet with a 15 to 20-foot spread. Its branching pattern is strong and open, not clusters of little branchlets shooting this way and that, prone to dieback. In all, it is a gracious silhouette in the darkest months and, as the tree grows, the trunk tends to twist artistically and the bark becomes a rugged skin of subtle blacks, grays, and olive greens with hints of silver. The old trees in the 1200 block of McGilvra Boulevard are reminiscent of the ancient olives of the Mediterranean, as beautiful for their venerable looking trunks as for their leaves and fruits.
November is an excellent month to put any new tree in the ground. For the most part plants are dormant. Winter rains will keep the soil around them moist. The young trunks are sturdy, but a supportive pair of stakes insure that the plant will survive stiff winds. Next summer, the plant will need 15 to 20 gallons of water a week if there is no precipitation. Cut sod away in a circle around the trunk following the drip line of the tree. A spring feeding of a complete fertilizer applied to damp soil and watered in will encourage a robust crop of fruits later in the year (12-12-12 or a rich compost are good choices).
Other Hawthorns are commonly called the May Tree, and for good reason. With great fanfare they herald the beginning of a new growing season. But Carriere Hawthorn is unique in the family, it marches to the beat of a different horticultural drum. You may find yourself giving thanks that you spotted one, became enamored, and copied the idea for your own garden. Then looking out at its statuesque form and bright fruit clusters as November turns into December and the turkey roasts and the pumpkin pies bake, you might very well dub this the Thanksgiving Tree.
STEVE LORTON is a Madison Park resident and former editor of Sunset.