Identifying characteristics:
This is the largest and most common of our native Iowa hawthorns.
The growth habit may be extremely variable: from rounded, wide-spreading
trees to low-spreading, ball-shaped masses. They usually attain a height
of 30 feet and a spread of 40 feet or more. The large, shallowly-lobed leaves are alternate, simple and doubly
serrate and broadest at the base. The dull green leaves are initially densely
hairy beneath, becoming hairy mainly along the veins. The stout leaf stalk
is 1 to 2 inches long and usually hairy. In the fall, the leaves turn yellow,
orange, or bronze-red and usually all drop within a short space of time.
Branches are ashy-gray and sometimes nearly thornless. Showy, white flowers are produced in broad heads
on downy stalks in mid-May, sooner than other hawthorns. Flowers are 1 inch
in diameter with 20 stamens, 4 or 5 styles and hairy, gland-toothed sepals.
The fruits are large (0.4 to 0.7
inches), nearly round pomes produced in drooping clusters in August and
September, and falling soon after. The skin is bright red and downy and
the edible, yellow flesh is thick and juicy. The nutlets are enclosed in
the flesh and seed germination usually requires after-ripening (low temperatures
to increase the acidity in the embryo). Bark
is reddish-brown, becoming light gray and cracking vertically into long,
close strips.
Similar species:
Ecology:
Distribution: The downy hawthorn is native from southern Ontario
to Virginia, west to Kansas and South Dakota. It is found throughout Iowa,
except in the northwestern corner of the state.
Habitat: Occurring along wooded streams and along fencerows, this species is a forerunner of encroaching forests and is often found on limestone soils. Extremely susceptible to leaf rust, the downy hawthorn often becomes unsightly towards the end of summer. Other problems include leaf miners, gall flies and round-headed apple borers.
Uses:
Wood: The wood is very hard, strong and close-grained. It
is not especially strong and is not used commercially. The heartwood is
light, reddish-brown and the sapwood paler.
Wildlife: Animals eat the fallen, softened fruits. A favorite food source of squirrels, the fruit is also eaten by a variety of birds: goldfinches, yellow warblers, indigo buntings and song sparrows. Many bird species use the trees as nesting sites, cattle eagerly browse the foliage and mice store and eat the seeds. Although some trees bear sweet, juicy fruit, the taste and texture can vary. The fruits make tasty preserves.
Horticulture: Downy hawthorns are an interesting, attractive addition to the Iowa landscape. Although the flowers are showy, the fruits are not long-lasting and many other hawthorn species and cultivars have superior qualities for horticultural use.
