Even when plump and sweet, they tend to be a little seedy and not very flavorful. Another group of plants with edible fruit is the Hawthorns. This is Crataegus marshallii , the Parsley-leaved Hawthorn. The Hawthorns are difficult to work with taxonomically because they hybridize readily and can reproduce apomictically, creating populations with unusual characteristics and uncertain affinities. The white flowers can really stand out in the shade of the understory.
Hawthorns are small trees or large shrubs.
As you can see, they have long, very sharp thorns. This is C. crus-galli . It is recognizable by its very shiny leaves and its extremely long, wicked thorns. In the fall, Hawthorns produce crops of small red pomes. They are tart but tasty, and make a very good jelly.