Hawthorn, Sorbus aria

tree of the Rosaceae family, subfamily Malaceae
(Hawthorn, Snowy Mespilus, Hawthorn, Quince tree, Medlar, Pear tree, Apple tree, Rowan).

This family is characterised by fleshy fruits, with skin and calyx (shriveled remains of the sepals, style and stamens of the flower), containing pips (which are seeds).

Origin: Europe.
Habitat: the hawthorn tolerates limestones, or even stony soil, and appreciates heat.
Lifespan: 250 years.
Height: 15 m tall.
Shape: stocky, with irregular and dense branches. The young branches are covered with fine down.
Dark brown cracked bark with clear scales.
Deciduous foliage. Simple leaves (15 cm), alternate, petiolate, with oval blade doubly toothed, shining on the top, whitish and downy green on the underside.
Flowers: appearing in May or June, after leaves, grouped in upright corymbs. The corolla is composed of 5 white petals.
Fruit red (haw) with reddish-brown, according to species, in clusters, covered with small warts. Their pulp is starchy, soft and edible.

Other species:

Torminal hawthorn, Wild Service Tree: It differs from Whitebeam with toothed leaves and more or less incised.

Hawthorn of Fontainebleau, species of hybrid origin (coming from natural hybridization between the Whitebeam and A. torminal), frequent in the region of Fontainebleau, in France; its leaves are lobbed less incised than the previous one; they darken during the summer, but underside remains clear.

Hawthorn of Mougeot, other hybridogenic species [= of hybrid origin], probably coming from natural hybridization between the Whitebeam and the Mountainash; its leaves are lobbed, in small rounded lobes (incisions rather shallow) and toothed. The Hawthorn of Mougeot is a mountain species (Vosges, Jura, Alps, Velay-Vivarais, Pyrenees).

There are no species native to America.