Crataegus monogyna Xanthocarpa

The Crataegus monogyna ‘Xanthocarpa’ is a rarely offered form of Hawthorn that stands out for its yellow fruits instead of the usual red. In spring, the bush produces a multitude of single white flowers that are fragrant and arranged in clusters. In autumn, its yellow foliage provides a backdrop for its abundant fruiting, which is appreciated by birds. Like all Hawthorns, this variety is very cold-hardy and can tolerate salt spray and pollution. It can be planted without hesitation in a countryside hedge, in all regions.

The Crataegus monogyna, also known as 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, open woods, forest edges, or even open terrain (meadows). This ornamental and ecological shrub is ideal in a hedgerow or as a free-standing plant. It belongs to the large Rosaceae family. It is a spiny shrub with a long lifespan, very hard wood, reaching a height of 10 m and a spread of 6 m at maturity, with a bushy, dense, sometimes slightly disordered habit. 'Xanthocarpa' is a small tree or large shrub with a moderately fast growth rate. Eventually, it will reach a height of 3 to 6 m and a spread of 2 to 3 m. The bark of the trunk is gray-brown, becoming scaly over time, and its short stems bear thorns. Its foliage is deciduous and absent in winter. It consists of single leaves that are 2 to 5 cm long, ovate in shape, deeply divided into 5 to 7 toothed lobes. The leaf veins are divergent. The leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper surface, with a duller underside, turning yellow in autumn before falling. In May-June, numerous single white flowers appear in dense, flat clusters of 6 to 12 flowers. The flower corollas have 5 rounded petals and numerous stamens with light pink anthers that turn purple. The flowers measure 1 to 2 cm in diameter and are highly visited by bees. In September-October, numerous yellow fruits with a single stone called "haws" appear, measuring 6 to 10 mm in length. They are spherical in shape. These berries are consumed by birds.

The Crataegus monogyna ‘Xanthocarpa’ adapts to any well-drained soil, even limestone, in a sunny or partially shaded location. Not demanding and very hardy, this shrub will only require maintenance pruning in February. It will thrive in gardens that make space for nature, particularly in a hedgerow or defensive planting. It can be paired with many other flowering shrubs or ornamental fruit shrubs, such as a small-sized flowering crab apple 'Royal Beauty', an early-flowering Chinese almond 'Multiplex', a compact winged spindle 'Compactus' for its autumn colors, or a rugosa rose 'Hansa' for its beautiful fragrant magenta flowers and large decorative orange-red fruits...

Note: The White Thorn hybridizes with Crataegus laevigata (Midland Hawthorn). It was once associated with May 1st, especially in Touraine. It was used as a calming agent to treat gout and pleurisy in the Middle Ages. Be cautious about dosage, as it can cause cardiovascular problems. Its wood is used for heating and was once used for metal parts and small carpentry.

The term monogyna comes from the Latin word "monogunus", which means "with a single style". This criterion distinguishes this variety from Crataegus laevigata, which has 2 or 3 styles (pistils) and therefore 2 or 3 stones in the fruit.