Crataegus azarolus - L.

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Summary

Physical Characteristics

Synonyms

C. aronia.

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - this is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame, some of the seed will germinate in the spring, though most will probably take another year. Stored seed can be very slow and erratic to germinate, it should be warm stratified for 3 months at 15°c and then cold stratified for another 3 months at 4°c[164]. It may still take another 18 months to germinate[78]. Scarifying the seed before stratifying it might reduce this time[80]. Fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also speed up the germination process[K]. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (as soon as the embryo has fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens) and sow it immediately in a cold frame. If timed well, it can germinate in the spring[80]. If you are only growing small quantities of plants, it is best to pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in individual pots for their first year, planting them out in late spring into nursery beds or their final positions. When growing larger quantities, it might be best to sow them directly outdoors in a seedbed, but with protection from mice and other seed-eating creatures. Grow them on in the seedbed until large enough to plant out, but undercut the roots if they are to be left undisturbed for more than two years.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Cyprus, Egypt (Sinai), Iran (west), Iraq (north), Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan EUROPE: Greece (Kríti) AFRICA: Tunisia

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

1150200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Dr.Volodymyr Mezhenskyj   Mon May 31 21:00:48 2004 Crataegus Cultivars Dear Sirs, I work with hawthorns as a new fruit crop. In 2001 the following pomological cultivars are included in the Register of Plant Varieties of the Ukraine: `Ljudmyl` - branches spineless, fruits orange red, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, weighing 4.5 (max 10) g, satisfactory taste, ripen in September; `Shamil` - branches with not numerous spines 3-4 cm in length, fruits red, 2 cm in diameter, weighing 4 (max 6) g, good taste, ripen in September; `Zbigniew` - branches with numerous spines 5-6 cm in length, fruits bright red, 2 cm in diameter, weighing 3,5 (max 5) g, good taste, ripen in August. The promising selection is `Zlat` - branches spineless, fruits yellow, up to 2 cm in diameter, weighing 3(max 4) g, good taste, ripen in September. Dr.Volodymyr Mezhenskyj, Artemivsk Research Center of Institution of Horticulture, Opytne, Artemivsk, Donetska obl., 84571 UKRAINE Stuart Peachey   Fri Feb 9 2007 Does this 16-17th century variety still exist? Where can one obtain grafts if it does. 1597 Neopolitan Medlar (I: GH1454,PP569) [Crateagus Azerolus]. Synonyms: Aronia (GH1453,GH1454) Azarolo (GH1455) Three grained Medlar (GH1455) Medlar of Naples (I: PP569) (GH1455) 1597 "The Neapolitane Medlar tree groweth to the height and greatnesse of an Apple tree, having many tough and hard boughes or branches, set with sharp thornes like the white Thorne, or Hawthorne: the leaves are very much cut or jagged like the Hawthorne leaves, but greater, and more like Smallage or Parsley, which leaves before they fall from the tree do wax red: amongst these leaves come forth great tufts of floures of a pale herby colour: which being past, there succeed small long fruit lesser than the smallest Medlar, which at the first are hard, and greene of colour, but when they be ripe, they are both soft and red, of a sweet and pleasant taste: wherein is contained three small hard stones, as in the former, which be the kernels or seeds thereof." (GH1454) 1629 "The Medlar of Naples groweth likewise to bee a reasonable great tree, spreading forth armes and branches, whereon are set many gathered leaves, somewhat like unto Hawthorne leaves, but greater, and likewise divers thornes in many places: the flowers are of an green herbie colour, and small, which turne into smaller fruit then the former (English Varieties), and rounder also, but with a small head or crowne at the top like unto it, and is of a more sweete and pleasant taste then the other, with three seeds only therein ordinarily." (PP568). 1664 Neopolitan (EK496). 1664 Azerole (EK496) Although known as a medlar it was a separate species, a cultivar of Crateagus Azerolus. It is related to Hawthorn [Crateagus Oxacantha] as evidenced by the “set with sharp thornes like the white Thorne, or Hawthorne: the leaves are very much cut or jagged like the Hawthorne leaves, but greater” (GH1454). Crateagus Azerolus still grows wild in Nature reserves in Lebanon. Ken Fern, Plants for a Future   Sun Feb 11 2007 The Azarole is currently being supplied by four nurseries in Britain (see http://www.rhs.org.uk/RHSPlantFinder/plantfinder.asp for details of these nurseries). Unfortunately, no cultivars are currently being offered though a form called 'White Italian' was offered a few years ago. It is possible that other old varieties are still being grown - please send us a comment if you know of any. Antonios Karpasitis   Sun Oct 14 2007 The plant is very common in Cyprus (where I come from) and in the eastern mediterranean. According to the book of Kyriaki Zannetou Panteli "The Medicinal Properties of Plants of Cyprus", in addition to its heart tonic properties it is also beneficial in cases of insomnia, stress and arthritis. Francisco Felipe   Sat Apr 26 2008 Crataegus azarolus was a popular small tree cultivated in North of Castille and other regions in Central Spain, as in my birth province (Palencia), where I often ate es as a child (now I am 46), specially enjoied in the countryside as a natural fence-maker and grown close to stone walls and in the boundaries of cultivated lands. Now its cultivation is been widely abandoned, but still possible to find in nourseries in two cultivars, the red (small and flavoury) and pale yellow (a bit bigger and less tasty than the red, but also very nice). Although not natural in Spain, it has been introduced for many centuries and was popular already in the Middle Ages, and metioned in differente versions of Dioscorides by spanish renacentis schoolars and in old gardenbooks (like Gregorio de los Ríos, one of the gardeners of Philipp the Second). It makes some prolems to grow from seeds, as most of Crategous, even more then the other hawthorns and mayflowers growing naturally in Spain (C. monogyna, C. oxyacantha, C. laevigiata, C. laciniata). I have a couple of red fruit growing in my garden at 1000 m altitude in the mountains of Madrid, graft on C. monogyna. The trees are now (April 2008) with the first white flowers and many more about to blossom, about sametime as the cultivated apple trees or couple of weeks later, but the leaves shooted early March. The frutis production changes very much form year to year, as I know from my familly, some yaeras bearing many fruits and others almost emptied, this is partly natural to hte species and partly also becasue this tree is quite sensible to the climate conditions in order to polinization and fruit development. George J. Cefai   Thu Jun 11 2009 "Azarale" as it was known here in Gozo Malta, was available many years ago on a hill (dead Volcano?) called 'The Hill of Merzuq' here on the island between Marsalforn Bay and the main road to our city Victoria. Later on in 1904 the Diocesy of Gozo was dedicated to Christ the Savoiur and a Statue was erected up there accordingly. Therefore This hill is also known as 'Tas-Salvatur'. Our children use to go right to the top of this hill to collect this azarolus. May I invite you all to visit Gozo and make sure that you go right to the top of'The Hill of Merzuq'. Please visit our website www.bandasantamarija.com and from the menu choose "Ritratt tal-Gimgha" ie: photo of the week and currently (June 11, 2009)it is showing the said 'Merzuq Hill'. Add a comment If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves. * Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information. To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately. Subject : Crataegus azarolus   Plant Uses Edible Uses Medicinal Uses Other Plant uses Woodland Gardening Why Perennial Plants? Top Edible Plants Top Medicinal Plants Garden Design Habitats Translations Content Content Help Bookshop Support Us Blog Links Old Database Search Suppliers Contact About Us Privacy Policy PFAF Newsletter *Email Address Stay informed about PFAFs progress, challenges and hopes by signing up for our free email ePost. 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