Apple Hawthorn, Eastern Mayhaw, May Hawthorn

I bought my first mayhaw plant at a garden center locally, and within a season, it died down below the graft. For 2-3 years, it died down...Read More below the ground, basically acting like a perennial. It finally started growing and growing and growing and has done well ever since. I've since planted several other mayhaw cultivars, both eastern and western, and haven't had a bit of problems from them. Mayhaws make some of the best tasting jelly there is. If you've never tasted mayhaw jelly, I would say it tastes like a cross between crabapple and cranberry jelly. Of course, everyone's palate is different. The biggest problem you're going to have with mayhaws is the suckering. Many people work diligently for the first few years to create a mayhaw with a single trunk so that it's more like a small-medium tree than a tall, bushy shrub. They are good for wet, shady areas, where very little in the way of fruit will grow. Plant at least two (separate cultivars or seedlings) for pollination. Don't plant near field lines, as the roots grow long and are tough.

These trees are known for their fruit which makes a delicious jelly. Also attractive for the landscape when in bloom.

Eye stratches from thorns can cause blindness.