+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ## mayhaw {#mayhaw .Title-Header}                                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| *Crataegus opaca* Hook. & Arn.                                        |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Plant Symbol = CROP                                                   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

Contributed by: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

![](media/image2.png){width="3.0in" height="2.7666666666666666in"}

USDA Forest Service Collection

Hunt Botanical Institute

##### Alternate Names {#alternate-names .Header-3}

riverflat hawthorn

##### Uses {#uses .Header-3}

*Wildlife*: Mayhaw's fruits is eaten by wildlife and the plant provides
cover.

*Food*: The large, edible fruit is very popular for jellies, preserves
and syrups. Other products made from mayhaw are juices, candies,
pastries and wine.

##### Status {#status .Header-3}

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural
Resources for this plant's current status (e.g. threatened or endangered
species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

##### Description {#description .Header-3}

*Crataegus opaca* Hook. & Arn., mayhaw, grows from southwest Alabama
west to southern Arkansas and east Texas. It is a small tree or a large
shrub with a relatively large trunk that grows up to 30 feet tall and 8
inches in diameter, with narrow, rounded crown. Leaves are oval,
pointed, narrowing toward the stem, finely toothed from the middle to
the tip (sometimes slightly lobed), dull green and downy beneath.
Mayhaw's bark is dark reddish-brown, fissured and divided into dark
brown scales. Flowers are 1 inch wide, white and borne in clusters of 2
or 3. Fruits are cranberry-like, small, round, yellow to bright red,
fragrant and juicy.

##### Adaptation {#adaptation .Header-3}

Mayhaw grows best in pure stands in moist, well-drained soils of
riverbanks and borders of swamps. However, they may be found growing
naturally in low, wet areas of North Florida. A fairly acid soil is
necessary for successful growth.

For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page
for this species on the PLANTS Website.

##### Establishment {#establishment .Header-3}

Although mayhaw is tolerant of wet, very acid soils, better growth is
achieved when it is planted on well drained, slightly acid soils. Mayhaw
trees are long-lived and may have a 30 feet canopy diameter after 20
years. Because of the growth potential, recommended tree spacing for a
permanent orchard is 15 to 20 feet in the row and 18 to 20 feet between
rows (giving 109 to 161 trees per acre).

#####  {#section .Header-3}

##### Management {#management .Header-3}

Train trees to a single trunk at the base for easier operation of
equipment under the trees. Prune plants each year to open up the canopy
for more light needed by most cultivars. Central leader and modified
central leader training systems used on apples can be used on mayhaws.

##### Pests and Potential Problems {#pests-and-potential-problems .Header-3}

Although there are no serious insect pest that feed on the young leaves
and twigs, mayhaw is susceptible to diseases including brown rot caused
by *Monilinia sp*., cedar-quince rust caused by *Gymnosporangium
clavipes*, and fireblight caused by *Erwinia amylovora*.

##### Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials (and area of origin) {#cultivars-improved-and-selected-materials-and-area-of-origin .Header-3}

'Big Red,' 'Red & Yellow,' 'Heavy Mason's Super Berry,' 'T.O. Super
Berry,' 'Higway Super Berry,' 'Super Spur.' Seeds and seedlings are
commercially available at forest seed companies and nurseries.

##### Prepared By & Species Coordinator:  {#prepared-by-species-coordinator .Header-3}

*Lincoln Moore*, Forest Biologist

USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center

Baton Rouge, LA

##### Edited: 18Dec2000 JLK; 06jun06 jsp {#edited-18dec2000-jlk-06jun06-jsp .Header-4}

For more information about this and other plants, please contact your
local NRCS field office or Conservation District, and visit the PLANTS
Web site\<[http://plants.usda.gov](http://plants.usda.gov/)\> or the
Plant Materials Program Web site
\<[http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov](http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/)\>

*The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in
all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA\'s [TARGET
Center](http://www.usda.gov/oo/target.htm) at 202-720-2600 (voice and
TDD).*

*To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of
Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence
Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or
TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.*

*Read about [Civil Rights at the Natural Resources Convervation
Service](http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/civilrights/).*