Tree is in the Roseaceae (rose) family is noted for its attractive flowers and foliage, bright red fruits long straight thorns, and fall color. It is a small, low-branching, deciduous tree that typically grows 25 to 30 feet tall with a rounded crown. Floodplain forests, alluvial swamps, riverbanks, alluvial clearings. Infrequent in the coastal plain and piedmont; rare in the mountains; sometimes locally abundant, especially in swamps of far se. Virginia.
Note: Because it is thorny and tolerates extensive pruning, it can be grown as a hedge for a screen or security. This plant has spike-like thorns (1 to 3 inches) and strong wood with a gray trunk. There are thornless cultivars for this plant such as 'Princeton Sentry' and 'Fastigiata'. It is the most heat tolerant hawthorn.
Wildlife value: This plant provides nectar for pollinators. It is a larval host plant for Gray Hairstreak, Red-spotted Purple , and Viceroy. Hummingbirds and butterflies nectar from the blooms. Songbirds like cedar waxwings, quail, wild turkeys and small mammals eat the fruit. The dense branches provide nesting protection.
Edibility: The fruit can be eaten, raw or cooked. A dry flesh and very small, it often hangs on the tree all winter.