Leaves are usually somewhat clustered at the end of the twigs and borne erect. The leathery foliage is among the most attractive of all hawthorns. Fall color can be gold to scarlet, but is often not showy. Thorns are numerous, falcate, and borne on rigid twigs. The points of the thorns point downward.
Twigs are reddish-brown when young, becoming gray with age.
Flowers are white and borne in May to June. Fruit is a dull red with thin, dry flesh. The dense branching attracts nesting birds all year and provides shelter, nesting, and food. This, too, is a pioneer species and found in fence rows and abandoned fields. The tree is open and unattractive with irregular and spreading branches.