Pollinator plant

Hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna

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Common names

17 names

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

English
Dutch
  • Eenstijlige meidoorn[1]
French
  • Aubépine
  • Aubépine monogyne[1]
German
  • Eingriffeliger Weißdorn[1]
  • Eingriffliger Weißdorn[2]
  • Hagedorn[1]
Italian
  • Biancospino comune[1]
Portuguese
  • Estrepoeiro[1]
  • Pilriteiro[1]
Spanish

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Crataegus monogyna — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • hawthorn — results[1].names[3]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • eenstijlige meidoorn — results[1].names[4]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • English Hawthorn — results[1].names[43]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Eingriffeliger Weißdorn — results[1].names[11]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Hagedorn — results[1].names[12]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • common hawthorn — results[1].names[2]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • may — results[1].names[5]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Neapolitan medlar — results[1].names[16]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Espino albar — results[1].names[24]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • majuelo — results[1].names[6]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Aubépine monogyne — results[1].names[15]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Biancospino comune — results[1].names[13]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Estrepoeiro — results[1].names[10]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
  • Pilriteiro — results[1].names[9]; taxon id 51147; Crataegus monogyna.
[2] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Crataegus monogyna ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Eingriffliger Weißdorn (DE); Oneseed hawthorn (EN); Espino albar (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 171966; taxon 6BB5X.
[3] Royal Horticultural Society — common names ↗

Names retained from the referenced botanical profile or table.

Source records
  • common hawthorn — Page 1, column 2, row top 727 pt; common-name cell after Crataegus monogyna.; Crataegus monogyna.
[4] Royal Horticultural Society — common names ↗

Names retained from the referenced botanical profile or table.

Source records
  • common hawthorn — Page 2, column 2, row top 112 pt; common-name cell after Crataegus monogyna.; Crataegus monogyna.
[5] Royal Horticultural Society — common names ↗

Names retained from the referenced botanical profile or table.

Source records
  • common hawthorn — Page 2, column 1, row top 547 pt; common-name cell after Crataegus monogyna.; Crataegus monogyna.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Crataegus monogyna is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Rosaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Pollinator guidance
RHS includes Crataegus monogyna in its Plants for Pollinators guidance.

RHS planting guidance. Choose accessible flowers with pollen and nectar; reduced-resource and double-flowered forms may be unsuitable.

Sources [2] [3] [4]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Low suitability
Nectar value Low
Pollen value Low
Agroforestry database

Complete plant information

Open full plant profile

Structure

Vegetation layer
Fruit tree, Shrub
Size
S,M
Dimensions
6.00 m high × 6.00 m wide
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifecycle
Perennial
Foliage
Deciduous

Site conditions

USDA hardiness
4-8
Moisture
Moist, Wet
Soil
Sandy, Loamy, Clay
pH
Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
Light
Partial shade, Sun

Uses

Edible parts
Fruit, Leaves, Flowers
Functions
Timber, Voedselbos, Fragrant
Edibility
3 out of 5
Medicinal value
4 out of 5

Fruit - raw or cooked, but raw not very flavorful. Generally used for jam and preserves. It can also be dried and then ground and mixed with flour to make bread, etc. The fruit has a diameter of about 1 cm and contains up to five fairly large seeds that often stick together, making it seem like you are eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed. Young shoots are edible raw and have a pleasant nutty flavor, making them a good addition to salads. Tea is made from dried leaves, and the roasted seeds serve as a coffee substitute. The flowers are used in syrups and sweet puddings.

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Crataegus monogyna — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 2036133; ID 6BB5X; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 2036133; ID 6BB5X; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Wildflowers

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 2, column 2, entry Crataegus monogyna (top 112 pt)

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Garden Plants

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 2, column 1, entry Crataegus monogyna (top 547 pt)

    Source checked on .

  4. Royal Horticultural Society RHS Plants for Pollinators — Plants Of The World

    RHS planting guidance; applicable flower-form restrictions are retained. General recommendations do not measure local nectar or pollen production.

    Supports: Pollinator guidance
    Relevant sections
    • Pollinator guidance: Page 1, column 2, entry Crataegus monogyna (top 727 pt)

    Source checked on .