Crataegus monogyna Versicolor

The Crataegus monogyna 'Versicolor' is a form of our wild hawthorn that stands out with its pretty flowers combining pink and white. This white thorn also produces small red fruits that will persist until winter to the delight of birds. It is a very hardy and undemanding thorny tree that has its place in a country or defensive hedge.

The Crataegus monogyna, known as the common hawthorn, single-style hawthorn or white thorn, is a species native to central and southern Europe where it grows in deciduous or mixed forests, in clearings, on the edge or even in open terrain (meadow). This ornamental plant is ideal for hedges. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, just like the wild rose and the plum tree. It is a thorny shrub with a long lifespan and very hard wood.

The 'Versicolor' form has been selected for the charm of its flowering in pink and white tones. Of medium growth, this hawthorn forms a small tree or a large shrub, reaching 3 to 4 m in height with a spread of 2 to 3 m. Its habit is globose to oval. When young, the bark of the branches is smooth, brownish-red in color, as it ages, it becomes scaly and darker. The plant produces thorny branches. The leaves and flowers appear almost simultaneously, between May and June. Its deciduous foliage is alternate, composed of simple, ovate leaves, 2 to 5 cm long, with 3, 5 or 7 toothed lobes. They are a dark green color in summer, taking on more orange or reddish autumnal shades. Its fragrant single flowers are grouped in small clusters of 6 to 12 flowers measuring 10 to 20 mm in diameter. The flower corollas consist of 5 rounded petals and numerous stamens with dark pink anthers, surrounding a single style enclosing an ovary that will produce a single seed. In September-October, the light red, shiny fruits, ovoid in shape, about 10 mm long and 5 to 8 mm in diameter, called haws, appear. They are inedible for humans, but highly appreciated by birds.

The Crataegus monogyna 'Versicolor' is a very robust shrub that can withstand temperatures down to -30°C. It adapts to a wide range of soils if they are well-drained, but not too dry, even limestone soils. With its moderate growth, this shrub fits well in many gardens, as a hedge, in a shrub border, or even as a standalone specimen. Resistant to pollution and salt spray, it is a good candidate for urban or coastal gardens. In an ecological hedge, mix it with serviceberries, ornamental apple trees, cotoneasters, wild pear tree, quince tree, or European spindle, for example. This shrub will provide shelter and food for many insects, birds, and small mammals.