Hawthorn Crataegus sp. There are about 800 species of hawthorn in North America, of which more than 150 grow to tree size.
Hawthorns are generally small, shrubby, thorn-bearing trees.
Great individual variations complicated by frequent hybridization make accurate identification extremely difficult except for the professional botanist. Even botanists have not been able to agree on the total number of species found in North America. For these reasons no attempt is made here to differentiate between the many species of Crataegus. Hawthorns are often found in pasture land, where their sharp thorns protect them from grazing cattle. Because of this they frequently are able to take possession of abandoned lands until shaded out by forest trees in succession.