Cockspurthorn (Crataegus crus-galli, Sp. Pl.: 476 (1753))

Family: Rosaceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 476 (1753)

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Crataegus

Vegetable: False

Observations: SE. Canada to NE. Mexico

Description

Cockspurthorn, scientifically known as Crataegus crus-galli, is a hardy deciduous tree that belongs to the Rosaceae family. This resilient species, first described in 1753 in “Sp. Pl.: 476” by the author L., thrives across a wide geographical range extending from Southeastern Canada to Northeastern Mexico.

Characterized by its impressive adaptability, Cockspurthorn flourishes in a variety of climate conditions, making it a versatile addition to diverse landscapes. The tree is noted for its distinctive thorns, which resemble the spurs of a rooster’s leg. These sharp spines serve as both a defensive mechanism against herbivores and a unique identifying feature.

The leaves of Crataegus crus-galli are another point of interest. They are simple, oval, and toothed with a glossy sheen that enhances their lush, green appearance during the growing season. As autumn approaches, the foliage transitions to vibrant shades of red and orange, providing a spectacular display of fall color and adding ornamental value to the species.

Flowers of the Cockspurthorn bloom in late spring to early summer, producing clusters of small, white, fragrant blossoms. These flowers give rise to small pome fruits that ripen in late summer to early autumn. The fruits are typically red and may persist into the winter months, providing a crucial food source for birds and other wildlife during the colder season.

In landscaping, Crataegus crus-galli is appreciated for its tough, low-maintenance nature and its ability to thrive in urban environments. It is commonly used as a hedge or specimen tree, offering both aesthetic beauty and practical benefits like creating natural barriers or acting as a windbreak.

Overall, Cockspurthorn is a remarkable species with robust qualities and striking seasonal displays, making it an excellent choice for both botanical enthusiasts and those seeking resilient decorative plants for their gardens.

Common Names

Eng: bush hawthorn, cockspur hawthorn, cockspurthorn, cockspur thorn, cockspur-thorn, newcastle thorn
Deu: hahnensporn-weißdorn
Dan: hanespore-hvidtjørn, hanesporetjørn
Fra: aubépine ergot-de-coq, épine ergot-de-coq, ergot de coq
Ces: hloh ostruhatý
Swe: sporrhagtorn
Nld: hanendoorn
Cym: draenen wen sbardunog
En: Cockspurthorn, Cockspur hawthorn, Cock-Spur Hawthorn, Bush hawthorne, Bush hawthorn, Cockspur-Thorn, Newcastle thorn, Cockspur thorn
Be: Глог петушыны грэбень
Cs: Hloh ostruhatý
Da: Hanespore-Hvidtjørn, Hanesporetjørn
Nl: Hanendoorn, Hanedoorn
Et: Kannus-viirpuu
Fr: Aubépine ergot de Coq, Aubépine ergot-de-coq, Épine Ergot-de-coq, Ergot de coq, Aubépine pied-de-coq
De: Hahnensporn-Weißdorn, Hahnen Dorn
It: Biancospino zampa di gallo
Pl: Głóg ostrogowy
Ru: Боярышник петушья шпора
Sv: Sporrhagtorn
Cy: Draenen wen sbardunog

Synonyms

• Crataegus lucida (Mill.)
• Crataegus leptophylla (Sarg.)
• Crataegus tenax (Ashe)
• Crataegus arborea var. ohioensis ((Sarg.) Kruschke)
• Mespilus crus-galli var. linearis (Wenz.)
• Crataegus angustifolia ((Ehrh.) Borkh.)
• Crataegus prunellifolia (Bosc ex DC.)
• Crataegus intermixta (Sarg.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. salicifolia ((Medik.) Aiton)
• Crataegus regalis (Beadle)
• Mespilus poiretiana (Sweet)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. bellica ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. vulgaris (Rickett)
• Mespilus prunellifolia (Bosc ex Poir.)
• Crataegus pyracanthoides ((Aiton) Beadle)
• Mespilus ovalifolia (Hornem.)
• Mespilus lucida (Ehrh.)
• Crataegus crus-galli ovalifolia (Torr. & A.Gray)
• Crataegus insignis (Sarg.)
• Crataegus ovalifolia ((Hornem.) DC.)
• Crataegus laurifolia (Medik.)
• Crataegus persistens (Sarg.)
• Mespilus badiata (Bosc)
• Mespilus cunifolia (Moench)
• Crataegus tantula (Sarg.)
• Crataegus denaria (Beadle)
• Mespilus crus-galli var. salicifolia ((Medik.) Wenz.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. danielsii ((E.J.Palmer) Rickett)
• Crataegus permixta (E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus cuneiformis ((Marshall) Eggl.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. linearis ((Desf.) DC.)
• Crataegus hannibalensis (E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus punctata var. tenax ((Ashe) Farw.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. oblongata (Sarg.)
• Crataegus watsoniana var. inermis (G.Kirchn.)
• Mespilus nana (Dum.Cours.)
• Crataegus subpilosa (Sarg.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. inermis (Lange)
• Crataegus cherokeensis (Sarg.)
• Crataegus triumphalis (Sarg.)
• Crataegus ohioensis (Sarg.)
• Mespilus crus-galli var. lucida ((Mill.) Castigl.)
• Mespilus linearis (Desf.)
• Crataegus barrettiana (Sarg.)
• Crataegus operta (Ashe)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. splendens (W.T.Aiton)
• Crataegus sabineana (Ashe)
• Crataegus macra (Beadle)
• Crataegus livoniana (Sarg.)
• Crataegus coursetiana (M.Roem.)
• Crataegus watsoniana ((Spach) Steud.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. rubens (Sarg.)
• Crataegus danielsii f. glabra (E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. barrettiana ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. truncata ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. capillata (Sarg.)
• Mespilus bosciana (Spach)
• Crataegus bosciana ((Spach) M.Roem.)
• Crataegus cocksii (Sarg.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. regalis ((Beadle) J.B.Phipps)
• Crataegus uniqua (Sarg.)
• Crataegus salicifolia (J.Gordon, Dermer & R.Edmonds)
• Crataegus alpestris (K.Koch)
• Mespilus crus-galli var. inermis ((G.Kirchn.) Asch. & Graebn.)
• Crataegus pachyphylla (Sarg.)
• Crataegus prunifolia var. ovalifolia ((Hornem.) Cinovskis)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. leptophylla ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. oblongata ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus lucida var. macracantha (Lavallée)
• Crataegus exigua (Sarg.)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. inermis ((Lange) Poletiko)
• Crataegus vallicola (Sarg.)
• Crataegus canbyi (Sarg.)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. rubens ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Mespilus salicifolia (K.Koch)
• Crataegus pyracanthoides var. limnophila ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus danielsii (E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. staminea (Rickett)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. attenuata ((Ashe) Farw.)
• Crataegus algens (Beadle)
• Crataegus crus-galli prunellifolia ((Bosc ex Poir.) Sudw.)
• Crataegus crus-galli angustifolia ((Ehrh.) Sudw.)
• Mespilus cuneiformis (Marshall)
• Crataegus truncata (Sarg.)
• Crataegus prunifolia var. splendens ((Aiton) Osborn)
• Crataegus helvina (Ashe)
• Crataegus regalis var. paradoxa ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus limnophila (Sarg.)
• Crataegus linearis (Pers.)
• Crataegus viridis (Medik.)
• Crataegus arborea (Beadle)
• Crataegus bushii (Sarg.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. pyracanthifolia (Aiton)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. spinulosa (Rickett)
• Mespilus watsoniana (Spach)
• Oxyacantha crus-galli ((L.) Nieuwl.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. berberifolia (Sarg.)
• Crataegus pyracanthoides var. arborea ((Beadle) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. ovalifolia ((Hornem.) Lindl.)
• Mespilus crus-galli ((L.) Du Roi)
• Crataegus paradoxa (Sarg.)
• Crataegus sublobulata (Sarg.)
• Mespilus lucida subsp. angustifolia (Ehrh.)
• Mespilus maxima (Dum.Cours.)
• Crataegus crus-galli f. nana (Poletiko)
• Crataegus bellica (Sarg.)
• Crataegus signata (Beadle)
• Mespilus lucida subsp. latifolia (Ehrh.)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. exigua ((Sarg.) Eggl.)
• Crataegus acutifolia var. insignis ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. macra ((Beadle) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus wilkinsonii (Ashe)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. pachyphylla ((Sarg.) E.J.Palmer)
• Crataegus crus-galli var. nana ((Dum.Cours.) DC.)

Distribution

• Alabama (native)
• Arkansas (native)
• Connecticut (native)
• Delaware (native)
• District of Columbia (native)
• Florida (native)
• Georgia (native)
• Illinois (native)
• Indiana (native)
• Iowa (native)
• Kansas (native)
• Kentucky (native)
• Louisiana (native)
• Maryland (native)
• Masachusettes (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Michigan (native)
• Minnesota (native)
• Mississippi (native)
• Missouri (native)
• New Jersey (native)
• New York (native)
• North Carolina (native)
• Oklahoma (native)
• Ontario (native)
• Pennsylvania (native)
• Québec (native)
• Rhode I. (native)
• South Carolina (native)
• Tennessee (native)
• Texas (native)
• Vermont (native)
• Virginia (native)
• West Virginia (native)
• Wisconsin (native)
• Czechoslovakia (introduced)
• Denmark (introduced)
• France (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Italy (introduced)
• Netherlands (introduced)
• Uzbekistan (introduced)

Additional Images

Bark

Taken May 28, 2020 by Frank Reiser (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 5, 2021 by Gerlinde (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 21, 2021 by bob bob petra (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 17, 2021 by Eduard Groen (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 8, 2017 by Tara Conler (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Jul 5, 2020 by md may (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 31, 2019 by Benjamin FOURNIER (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 8, 2022 by Jean – Louis (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 24, 2022 by Nathalie Grosgeorge (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 26, 2021 by Feya Sterling (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Jul 24, 2021 by Lyndsay Mendel (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 6, 2019 by Chase Schippers (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 16, 2022 by Joost Gieskes (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 8, 2022 by Jean – Louis (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 26, 2021 by Feya Sterling (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Jun 9, 2021 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 4, 2021 by maddnrose maddnrose (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 8, 2021 by Joost Gieskes (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 28, 2020 by Frank Reiser (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 29, 2018 by Mihajlo Tomić (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Oct 1, 2022 by T Trista (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 11, 2021 by selber pflanzen (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 21, 2021 by bob bob petra (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 6, 2019 by Chase Schippers (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 9, 2021 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Oct 20, 2020 by David David (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 15, 2010 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:68112-2)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3013404)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Crataegus crus-galli L.)

Specifications

Growth habit: Tree, Shrub

Growth