🌸 Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’ – Winter King Hawthorn

🔎 Identification

Scientific name: Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’

Family: Rosaceae (rose family)

Common names: Winter King hawthorn, green hawthorn.

Origin: Eastern and central United States.

Type: Deciduous ornamental tree.

Special feature: Selected for persistent bright red fruit, ornamental bark and a beautiful silhouette.

🌿 Botanical description

Habit: Rounded, spreading and relatively open, sometimes vase-shaped.

Height: 6 to 9 m.

Spread: 6 to 9 m.

Growth: Moderate.

Trunk: Sturdy, generally straight; can be trained to a single trunk.

Branches: Relatively few thorns compared with many other hawthorns, although some may bear thorns.

Leaves: Deciduous, simple, alternate, oval to slightly lobed, toothed and glossy dark green.

Bark: Silvery grey, exfoliating with age to reveal beautiful orange and brown shades.

🌸 Flowering

Period: May to June, depending on the climate.

Flowers:

• White, in dense clusters.

• About 1.5 to 2 cm across.

• Lightly scented.

• Very attractive to bees and other pollinators.

Special feature: Abundant flowering gives the tree a luminous appearance in spring.

🍒 Fruit

Type: Small, fleshy pomes (like apples).

Size: About 0.8 to 1 cm across.

Colour: Orange to bright red.

Ripening period: September to October.

Features:

• Abundant production.

• Fruit in clusters.

• Often persists on branches through much of winter.

• Highly ornamental after leaf fall.

• Appreciated by birds.

Edibility: Technically edible, but of little interest for fresh eating because of its small size and scant flesh.

🌱 Growing conditions

Exposure: Full sun (ideal for abundant flowering and fruiting).

Soil: Fertile, well drained, moist to moderately dry.

Texture: Tolerates clay and various soil types.

pH: Slightly acidic to alkaline.

Watering: Regular during the first few years, then moderate.

Planting: Spring or fall.

Spacing: Allow 6 to 8 m for natural development.

Special feature: Once established, tolerates urban pollution, compacted soil and some drought relatively well.

❄️ Hardiness

Zones: 4 to 7 (some references give a minimum zone of 5a).

Approximate minimum temperature: About -25 to -30 °C, depending on growing conditions.

Winter resistance:

• Good hardiness for an ornamental tree.

• Suited to cool temperate regions.

• Young trees may need protection during their first winters.

Special feature: Its main winter ornamental quality is persistent red fruit contrasting with silvery bark.

✂️ Care

Pruning: Late winter or early spring, before bud break.

Training: Early formative pruning is recommended to develop a well-structured central trunk.

Fertilizing: Compost or a light organic fertilizer in spring, if needed.

Watering: Maintain consistent moisture during establishment.

Propagation: Mainly by grafting to retain the cultivar's characteristics faithfully.

Transplanting: Can be relatively difficult; the tree sometimes takes time to establish.

🦋 Ecological value

• Flowers attract bees and pollinating insects.

• Provides fruit for birds.

• Offers shelter for small wildlife.

• Dense branching can provide refuge.

• Contributes to garden biodiversity.

✅ Highlights

• Beautiful orange-red fruit.

• Fruit persists through winter.

• Highly ornamental silvery and orange bark.

• Abundant spring flowering.

• Beautiful red, purple and bronze fall colours.

• Generally less thorny than many other hawthorns.

• Good drought tolerance once established.

• Four-season ornamental interest.

• Attracts birds and pollinators.

• Relatively good resistance to certain hawthorn diseases.

❌ Points to consider

• Some branches may bear thorns.

• Can become quite wide at maturity.

• Sometimes slow to establish after planting.

• Susceptible to fire blight (Erwinia amylovora).

• May be affected by cedar-hawthorn rust.

• Can develop leaf spots and powdery mildew.

• Fallen fruit may slightly soil surfaces.

  🌳 Distinctive feature: ‘Winter King’ is best known for its winter display. After leaves fall, clusters of bright red fruit remain suspended from the branches while silvery bark gradually reveals orange tones.