Lavalle hawthorn
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1Will it grow where I live?
Lavalle hawthorn is hardy to zone 5 – that covers all of Central Europe and the British Isles, and every USDA zone from 5 upwards.
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Profile
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Height
- 4 m
- Spread
- 6.5 m
- Growth
- medium
- Lifespan
- 80 years
- First yield
- after 4 years
- Hardiness
- zone 5–7
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay
- Soil moisture
- semi-dry – very wet
- pH
- 5.6 – 7.6
Uses
Edible: The fruit can be consumed raw or cooked. It is suitable for cakes, jams etc. and can also be dried. Inside there are up to five fairly large kernels which often stick together, so that one gets the impression of eating a cherry-like fruit with only one kernel.
Medicinal: Although this species is not explicitly mentioned, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorn species are known in traditional medicine as heart tonics, and modern research has confirmed this use. The fruits and flowers are blood-pressure-lowering and strengthen the heart in a gentle and direct way. They are particularly suitable for the treatment of heart weakness in combination with high blood pressure. For optimal effect, prolonged use is required. They are usually taken as a tea or tincture.
Other uses: Wood – heavy, hard, tough, close-grained. Useful for making tool handles, hammers and other small items.
Growing
This very easy-care plant prefers a well-drained, moisture-retaining loam, but is otherwise undemanding. Once established, it also thrives in very moist soils and tolerates drought. It grows well on chalk and in heavy clay soils. For fruit production a full-sun site is ideal; it copes in semi-shade as well, but yield and fruit quality are then lower. Most species of this genus thrive in exposed sites and are also tolerant of air pollution. It hybridises readily with other species of this genus. Seedlings should not remain in the nursery bed for more than two years without being transplanted. Seedlings produce their first fruits after five to eight years, while grafted trees often flower abundantly already in their third year. The flowers give off a foul smell reminiscent of rotting fish. This attracts midges, which are the main pollinators. Freshly opened, the flowers give off a more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones.
Frequently asked questions
Lavalle hawthorn: how big does it get?
Lavalle hawthorn (Crataegus x lavallei) grows as a Shrub and reaches roughly 4 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 6.5 m. Growth is medium.
Lavalle hawthorn: what site does it need?
Lavalle hawthorn tolerates light shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay. Soil moisture should be in the range semi-dry – very wet. The pH may lie between 5.6 and 7.6.
Lavalle hawthorn: is it hardy?
Lavalle hawthorn is listed as hardy in zone 5–7 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Lavalle hawthorn: will it grow in Central Europe?
Lavalle hawthorn is hardy to zone 5 – that covers all of Central Europe and the British Isles, and every USDA zone from 5 upwards.
Lavalle hawthorn: is it poisonous?
Individual parts of Lavalle hawthorn are noted as mildly problematic — the plant does not count as poisonous. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone, only on a confident identification.
Lavalle hawthorn: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 3/10, Medicinal 2/10, Other uses 1/10.
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