Crataegus laevigata Pauls Scarlet

This attractive Hawthorn has a fine display of double, pink-red flowers that arrive in May when almost all of the other spring flowering trees have finished their floral displays.

The foliage is a classic Hawthorn shape, small and dark green, changing to red in the autumn time. The fruit also appear in the autumn and are red, very small and similar to the Common Hawthorn fruit.

Crataegus laevigata Pauls Scarlet is a sport of a specimen of Crataegus Rosea Flora Pleno found in a Herefordshire Garden in the 1850’s, it is one of the most popular thorns available and won the First Class Certificate in 1858 and the Award of Garden Merit in 2002.

This tough tree is a quite resilient and will perform well in most soils, including very dry and wet conditions. It can however be a little slow to root post transplanting and thus we recommend moderate pruning of the crown in the first few years post planting to ensure that good anchorage is achieved.

This small to medium sized tree is a great choice for gardens which are exposed or coastal as it is one of the very few ornamental varieties which can withstand a little salt laden wind.

This species should be a certain inclusion for any planting project which looks to extend the floral display well into the early summer.

Mature height: 3-7m