Crataegus Princesse Sturdza - Midland Hawthorn

Crataegus x media 'Princesse Sturdza' is a very hardy and undemanding variety of hawthorn, with a medium growth habit. This small tree is ideal for small spaces and brightens up spring with its beautiful pink flowers. Flowering occurs in April-May and sometimes again in autumn. The deciduous foliage is shiny green and turns yellow-orange before falling off for winter. It also produces small red fruits that persist throughout winter and delight birds and wildlife. It thrives best in fertile and well-drained soil, neutral or slightly alkaline, and does not appreciate overly dry or wet soils.

Crataegus x media, formerly known as Crataegus oxyacantha, is also called Smooth Hawthorn, Two-styles Hawthorn, or Thorny Hawthorn. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, just like the wild rose and the plum tree. It is a botanical species native to central and southern Europe, and North America, where it grows in deciduous or mixed forests, in open woods or even in open terrain (meadow). The term Crataegus comes from the Greek cratos meaning: resistant. In the past, hawthorn wood was used to cut logs for the execution of convicts. Oxyacantha comes from oxus, meaning: acute, and akantha, meaning: thorn. Crataegus x media is a thorny hawthorn that differs from Crataegus monogyna (single-style hawthorn) by its spreading branches and its leaves that have 3 slightly pronounced lobes at the top and are distinctly wedge-shaped at the base. The flower of Crataegus laevigata contains 2 or 3 styles and its fruit has two stones, while Crataegus monogyna has leaves that are distinctly and deeply lobed with 3, 5, or 7 toothed lobes, a flower with a single style, and the fruit contains a single stone. Crataegus laevigata is also known for its medicinal properties. Commonly used for creating country hedges, it also serves as a rootstock for medlar and pear trees.

The 'Princesse Sturdza' variety was selected by Jean-Pierre Hennebelle (1933-2002), a nurseryman in Boubers-sur-Canche in Pas-de-Calais. It was named after his friendship with Princess Greta Sturdza, creator of the Vasterival Garden and Vice-President of the Royal Horticultural Society and the Association of Botanical Parks in France. This hawthorn forms a small, upright tree with a spreading habit, in a bushy tuft, composed of numerous shoots originating from the same base, reaching a height of 3.5 to 5 m and a spread of 2.5 to 3.5 m at maturity. Its numerous flexible and trailing branches give it a weeping appearance. Its growth is normal. The bark of the trunk is grey-brown and scaly, and the short stems are spiny and purple. Its deciduous foliage is alternate, composed of simple, ovate leaves, 2 to 5 cm long, with 3 to 5 toothed lobes. They are shiny dark green, with a duller underside. In April-May, simple flowers appear, grouped in small clusters. They are pink with a white centre, with two or three styles and red stamens. They emit a strong, harsh, and relatively unpleasant fragrance. In September-October, shiny red pear-shaped fruits, about 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter, called haws, appear. They are inedible for humans but loved by birds.

The Princesse Sturdza Hawthorn is a very robust and resistant shrub, able to withstand winter temperatures down to -30°C. It adapts to a wide range of soils as long as they are well-drained but not too dry, even alkaline. It will thrive in a sunny or semi-shaded position, and a balanced pruning in February will suffice. With its moderate growth, this shrub fits well in any type of garden, whether as a standalone or in a mass planting. It is resistant to pollution and salt spray, an excellent choice for urban or coastal gardens. It will bring refinement and elegance to your space. It can be planted in an ecological hedge, with pyracanthas, ornamental apple trees, cotoneasters, wild pear trees, quince trees, or European spindle, for example. This way, it will provide shelter and food for many insects, birds, and small mammals.