Educate Yourself About the Cockspur Hawthorn and Its Visiting Birds
Cockspur Hawthorn
Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) is a beautiful small tree, which is perfect for a hedgerow, or just growing in your bird feeding garden. In spring time it will be covered in red to white flowers, which will mature into a profuse crop of red fruits by fall that will often stay long into winter. The Cockspur Hawthorn is great for nesting birds, among its long, curved thorns. More than 20 different kinds of birds will feast on its red fruits, including the Fox Sparrows, and the Cedar Waxwings.
This tree likes full sun, and will do fine in different kinds of soils and pH values, but prefers well-drained ones. It will grow up to “between” 20-30ft (6-9m), and have a spread of around 30ft (9m). Some great alternatives are the Fleshy Hawthorne (C. succulenta) which is considered one of the best native hawthorns, and is often cultivated, with large crops. Another one is the Round-leaved (C. chrysocarpa), and it can be a large shrub or a small tree. It likes full sun and well-drained soil.
