In the Bible
The Bible mentions the hawthorn tree only once (Job 30:4). In Job, often Bible translations don’t use the word hawthorn; rather broom tree is used. One hawthorn trees grow in the Israeli landscape: Crataegus aronia also known as Crataegus azarolus and commonly called the spiny hawthorn. It is deciduous (not an evergreen) tree . In ancient Israel, it grew on both sides of the Jordan River. Some believe the crown of thorns worn by Christ was made from the hawthorn; but likely the crown of thorns was made from another plant.
Crataegus means strong or sharp point in Greek. The Greek name is appropriate because the tree is strong and has thorns (sharp points). In the United States, the primary hawthorn tree is the Crataegus phaenopyrum. We call it the Washington hawthorn. American gardeners love this tree because in spring it has a beautiful cream to white flowers which turn into red berries (about ¼ inch in diameter) in autumn.
Generally, hawthorn berries remain on trees throughout the winter. Birds and squirrels eat them. If any berries are left over in the spring, migrating spring birds finish them.
Another plus for the Washington hawthorn is that in autumn leaves turn copper to scarlet. They are spectacular. Trees are small to medium size and rarely reach over 30 feet in height although the crown spreads up to 30 feet. Washington hawthorn are tough trees which survive through droughts and don’t seem to be bothered by urban pollution. Often, trees are planted closely together to give
privacy. The tree prefers full sun and grows best in an acid to neutral pH. In the U.S., the Washington hawthorns grows readily in plant hardiness zones are 4 – 8.
Thorns and Legends
The downside to the Washington hawthorn is its thorns, particularly if planted in a play area. Alternatively, thorns can assist when the tree is planted to promote privacy. Depending on the variety of hawthorn, the thorns on the tree’s branches, twigs, and even trunks can be straight or curved. Some thorns measure
up to four inches long. Not only can the thorns cause puncture wounds, there have been responsible for bacterial infections and allergic reactions. A United States legend is that Paul Bunyan used a hawthorn tree as a back scratcher because of its thorns.
In our church Bible garden, we have several redbud trees which are aged. I am considering planting the Washington hawthorn when the redbud trees finally succumb to age. The Washington hawthorn is more stable than both a redbud tree and the Bradford pear tree which is a common tree in southwestern Virginia.
Reflection: Resilient, drought tolerant, grows in diverse environments. Does that describe you?
Copyright September 26, 2017; Carolyn Adams Roth. All rights reserved.
Note: Please check out my website: www.CarolynRothMinistry.com for books on Bible plants. Much of the material for this post was from the Arbor Day Foundation and Missouri Botanical Garden.