Help with tree ID

21 years ago

I couldn't take a picture of this, but I'm hoping someone can give me some ideas on where to start a google search - I'm in SE PA, this is growing in the understory. It's a small tree/large bush, about 10' high now, and just leafing out. The leaves remind me of a beech leaf in that they are ridged with toothed margins. But the kicker is that this tree has about 3" long, very thin thorns all over the braches, mostly seeming to point downwards. No idea is this is a native or not, it's the only one I've found on the property. Any ideas?

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Comments (5)

Treedoc66
21 years ago
Hawthorn sounds plausible.
The only other tree I can think of with this many thorns would be a honey locust. They are armed to the max; bristling with trunk thorns!
Aralia spinosa also has a lot of thorns, but not as you describe.
I will wait to hear from the smart folks on this one.

Rx
jillmcm
Original Author
21 years ago
Treedoc - I think you've got it - I googled Crataegus and I'm sure one of the five must match. I'll have to try and get a leaf tomorrow - it was a tough slog back to where it was (lots and lots of poison ivy). I knew it wasn't a honey locust - we have lots of those and they're quite different. I suppose I shouldn't have said "all over the branches" - the thorns are fairly widely spaced, but they seem to be on all the branches.

Are there any native hawthorns? I think of them as a British tree. I will see if I can get the species pinned down tomorrow - thanks!!
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Iris GW
21 years ago
Tons of native hawthorns! I've been trying to id one myself.
Scroll down to the bottom of this site and you'll see a by-state distribution map of each type.

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA hawthorn distribution page
chuckr30
21 years ago
Are buckthorns and hawthorns the same bush? I've seen buckthorns on one property I had, the spikes were 2-3" long, quite sharp, but appeared only on branches, not on the trunk. Also, the wood was extremely hard to break by hand. Also, these bushes got 6-10' high.
Judy_B_ON
21 years ago
Buckthorn has tiny thorn like bits at the stem ends; if you had a bush with 2-3" thorns it was either hawthorn or locust. Hawthorn wood is dense.

Below is a link to buckthorn photos. Go to the home page of the data base and search for locust and hawthorn pictures.

Here is a link that might be useful: Buckthorn