| British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide |
BLACK HAWTHORN
crataegus douglasii
- The
Black Hawthorn is also known as Douglas Hawthorn, Douglas
Thorn, Douglas Thorn Apple, Western Thorn Apple, Western
Black Haw
- 'crataegus'
is from the Greek word 'kratos' which means "strength"
referring to the strength of this wood
- 'douglasii'
is after plant explorer David Douglas
UNIQUE
FEATURES:
- because
of their multitude of thorns (1 to 2 cm long)the English
used the hawthorn to make fences to enclose cattle;
the word 'hawthorn' is from the Anglo-Saxon word 'haguthorn'
meaning 'fence with thorns'
- The
Black Hawthorn provides good nesting and denning for
birds and small mammals because of the impenetrable
thickets and thorns
LOCATION:
- The
Black Hawthorn grows south of Ft. St. John
- The
Black Hawthorn appears from sea level to mid elevations
- in
meadowland thickets and along water courses
- areas
of abundant sunlight
SIZE:
- The
Black Hawthorn is a small tree or large shrub, often
grows in a thicket
- up
to 8 metres tall
FRUIT:
- small
(1 cm) clusters of yellow, red or blackish "apples"
or haw
- very
seedy but sweet and edible
- when
ripe, whither very quickly
FLOWERS:
- appear
in May and June
- white,
5 petals
- saucer-shaped
- occur
in flat-topped clusters
- have
an unpleasant odor
LEAVES:
- oval,
with 5 to 9 small lobes at the top
- sharp,
shallow teeth
- 3
to 6 cm long
- leathery,
glossy deep green on the top side when mature
- the
thorns occur at the leaf exits
BARK:
- reddish,
brown
- few
shallow fissures
WOOD
CHARACTERISTICS:
- Black
Hawthorn wood is strong
USES:
- modern
- hedges
- traditional
- wood: digging sticks, handles; thorns: pierce ears,
lance boils and probe skin ulers, fish hooks; leaves,
inner bark, new shoots: burned together and mixed
the ashes with grease to make a black face paint
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