Lavalle hawthorn

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.

Propagation

Seed – this is a hybrid species which does not breed true from seed. If this is not a problem, the best way is to sow the seeds in autumn directly after ripening in a cold frame. Some seeds will germinate in spring, but most will probably need another year. Stored seeds often germinate very slowly and irregularly. They should be warm-stratified for three months at 15°C and then cold-stratified for another three months at 4°C. Germination may still take up to 18 months. Scarifying the seed coat before stratification may shorten this time. Fermenting the seeds in their own pulp may also speed up germination. Alternatively, the seeds can be harvested "green" (as soon as the embryo is fully developed but before the seed coat hardens) and sown immediately in a cold frame. If timed correctly, they germinate in spring. If you are growing only a few plants, it is advisable to pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough and grow them on in individual pots for the first year. In late spring you can then plant them in the nursery bed or at their final position. For larger quantities it is better to sow the seeds directly outdoors in a seedbed, which should be protected from mice and other seed-eating animals. Grow the seedlings on in the seedbed until they are large enough to plant out. Cut the roots slightly if the plants are to remain undisturbed for more than two years.

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