Hawthorn or Crataegus is a beautiful thorny bush with a bushy, dense habit. This small bush rarely exceeds 6 m in height with a 4 m spread. It is covered in spring with delicate white or pink flowering and bears small colourful, edible fruits in autumn. Hawthorn is ideal in a natural garden, within an informal, mixed, formal or defensive hedge. Undemanding and very hardy, it requires no maintenance and tolerates pruning particularly well. Discover our advice on when and how to prune a hawthorn.

Why prune a hawthorn?

Pruning a hawthorn is not obligatory but can be useful to let light into the branches. In hawthorns, branches tend to become naturally tangled, forming an inextricable network and preventing light from entering. Pruning also promotes branching, helps rebalance habit or simply limits height or bulk. Well-considered pruning renews shoots that over time become less floriferous. In an informal hedge or a bed with a wild style, you can preserve hawthorn’s natural habit and leave pruning shear aside.

how to prune hawthorn hedge, hawthorn hedge pruning
Delicate flowering and reddened fruits of hawthorn

When to prune a hawthorn?

Work at end of winter, in February–March before growth resumes or immediately after flowering, i.e. late June–early July, or at start of autumn in September–October. If you prune in summer, you will forgo bush’s fruiting, which birds love, but you will not sacrifice following year’s flowering. Always prune outside freezing periods.

How to prune a hawthorn?

Maintenance pruning

If you grow hawthorns in an informal hedge, prune only what is obstructive. You can let your hawthorns grow freely or limit yourself to maintenance pruning. This annual pruning keeps a harmonious habit and induces greater branching. Prune branch tips from planting to encourage branching.

  • With a pruning shear or a shear, remove stray or tangled stems that upset hawthorn’s balance and clutter centre of branches
  • Remove dead and desiccated stems at their base
  • Prune overly long, sparsely floriferous shoots
  • If you wish to preserve fruiting, do not remove all shoots
how to prune hawthorn hedge, hawthorn hedge pruning

Pruning for a formal hedge

With its dense, bushy habit, hawthorn is perfect for forming a neat hedge. It tolerates severe pruning very well. Use a cord to guide a straight cut: prune along the cord with your shear or use a hedge trimmer.

how to prune hawthorn hedge, hawthorn hedge pruning

Training as a standard

It is entirely possible to train a hawthorn as a standard tree. To do so:

  • From planting, cut lower lateral branches, gradually raising cut up to crown over years to keep single trunk
  • Regularly remove all new suckers at their base
  • Prune crown regularly to maintain balanced shape
how to prune hawthorn, hawthorn pruning trained as standard
Left, a white hawthorn trained on two trunks; right, Crataegus laevigata Paul's Scarlet

What equipment to prune a hawthorn?

Use clean cutting tools disinfected with methylated spirits before use to avoid transmitting diseases between plants. To prune hawthorn you will need: