Plant of the Month November - Crataegus prunifolia

Which hedge would be the right one for us? Plenty of garden owners are familiar with this particular problem. As the green edging of the property, the hedge is an essential part of the garden and needs to be chosen with great care. This month we would like to ease your decision-making, and present a hedge variation that's easy to look after and not yet (too) well-known: the broad-leaved cockspurthorn.

 

 

Crataegus prunifolia is used both as a shrub and as a solitary tree and can reach a height of 5-6 m. The hedge elements can grow equally high if so wished—our largest specimens stretch up to 3.40 metres! If you're looking for a high property boundary, then the hawthorn could be just right. It's also densely branched, which means that it can offer reliable privacy protection. This characteristic also makes it a favourite of birds—since its impenetrable and thorny branches make the Crataegus hedge an extremely safe breeding place.

 

 

 

Admittedly, the broad-leaved cockspurthorn, unlike many other popular hedge plants, is not evergreen. However, it is convincing with a spectacular autumn colouring in bright yellow to red tones, which stay for a good length of time. In spring and summer the inverted oval leaves of the plant are glossy dark green, while from May to June they are covered with numerous white, fragrant flowers. From August, small red berries adorn the shrub, which is a popular source of food for birds.

 

 

 

The broad-leaved cockspurthorn is very easy to take care of and makes few demands on its location. As a plant that loves warmth, it thrives best in sunny to semi-shady places, but they shouldn't be too dry. This frost-hardy shrub belongs to the deep-rooting family and can therefore be combined without hesitation with flat-rooted perennials.

 

If you enjoy watching the changing seasons in your garden and lean towards organic gardening, a cockspurthorn hedge is probably an ideal choice. Because with Crataegus prunifolia you not only get a varied property boundary in the garden, but also an important bird nourishing and protective hedge.