Crataegus mollis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crataegus mollis |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Crataegus
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| Species: |
mollis
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The downy hawthorn (scientific name: Crataegus mollis) is a type of tree found in eastern North America. It's also sometimes called the red hawthorn. You can find it growing from places like North Dakota and Nova Scotia all the way down to Texas. It likes to live in forests near rivers, along the edges of prairies, and in open woodlands.
This tree can grow quite tall, usually between 10 to 13 meters (about 33 to 43 feet) high. It has many thorny branches that form a thick top, and its trunk is a grey color, like ash. Its leaves are about 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) long. Sometimes, the leaves might fall off early in the summer because of plant diseases, but the tree usually recovers well.
Flowers and Fruit
The downy hawthorn is one of the first hawthorn trees to bloom in spring. Its white flowers grow in bunches at the ends of the branches. These flowers are very pretty!
After the flowers, the tree grows bright red fruit. These fruits are edible, which means you can eat them! They ripen in late summer and early fall, usually from mid-August to early September. The fruit looks very colorful on the tree, especially when the leaves have already fallen off.
Tree Features
The downy hawthorn is related to another tree called Crataegus submollis. Even though they are similar, they grow in different areas. One way to tell them apart is by their flowers: C. mollis usually has about 20 stamens (the parts that produce pollen) in each flower, while C. submollis has about 10.
The seeds inside the fruit of the downy hawthorn take a long time to sprout. They usually don't start growing until two or three years after the fruit has ripened. This is because they have a special "resting period" before they are ready to grow.
Challenges for the Tree
Like many plants, the downy hawthorn can face some challenges. Certain insects, like Gypsy moths, can target its leaves. It can also be affected by plant diseases such as leaf rusts and fireblight. These diseases can cause problems for the leaves. Also, the tree has sharp thorns, so you need to be careful around it!
Images for kids
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Fruit of Crataegus mollis.
See also
In Spanish: Acerolo rojo para niños
