Crataegus punctata aka Hillside Hawthorn

Crataegus punctata is known as dotted hawthorn or flat-topped hawthorn. This deciduous tree belongs to the rose family. Its native range covers eastern Canada and much of eastern North America. It grows from southern Quebec and Ontario west to Minnesota. Its range reaches south to Georgia. Wild plants grow in thickets, pastures, and open rocky sites. They also grow on rich hillsides.

Garden trees reach about 20–35 feet (6–10 metres) tall. Their crowns can spread wider than their height. Layers of level branches form a broad, flat crown. Most trees have one trunk with thorns. The pale gray twigs bear slender, straight or curved thorns. Some thorns branch, while some plants lack them. Simple leaves grow in an alternate pattern along the stems. Each gray-green leaf widens toward its tip and narrows below. The edges have teeth and sometimes shallow lobes.

White flowers grow in broad clusters of five to twenty. PFAF gives June as the flowering month. Each flower has both male and female parts. Midges carry pollen between the flowers. The fruits, called haws, ripen in October. They are round or pear-shaped, with clear dots on their skin. Most are dull red, though some are yellow. Their green flesh stays hard and tart until ripe. Fruits reach about an inch across and hold several hard seeds. People eat the ripe fruit fresh or cook it. It also serves for jelly and preserves.

Full sun gives the best fruit crop and quality. The tree also grows in partial shade, with poorer fruit yields. It prefers moist loam that holds water but drains well. It accepts sand, heavy clay, and chalk soils too. It grows in mildly acid through strongly alkaline soil. Established trees cope with drought and very moist ground. PFAF lists USDA zones 4–8. Oregon State notes reports of hardiness down to zone 2. Hardiness may vary with the tree's place of origin.

The broad crown suits a sunny woodland edge or food garden. Rust can affect this species. Its hard, tough wood serves for handles and mallets. PFAF records a traditional medicinal use of shoots and bark. This record does not establish medical safety or effectiveness. PFAF lists no known hazards, but this is not a full safety assessment.