Ornamental trees and shrubs: Fischer’s hawthorn

A hawthorn hedge is used in the design of the site, as an element of a decorative design solution. It carries a functional load, the shrub is used to protect the territory. The culture has a variety of hybrid ornamental varieties that allow you to create a low fence or hedge up to 5 m in height.

The use of hawthorn in landscape design

Hawthorn belongs to perennial deciduous shrubs. Suitable for decorating large areas and small areas. The species differ in the structure of the shoots, the color of flowers and fruits. Decorative hawthorn is used to decorate the territory as:

• a berry plant with bright red, yellow or black fruits;
• deciduous culture, which by autumn changes the color of the crown to spectacular red and yellow hues;
• flowering shrub with large flowers: white, pink, deep red.

On the site, the culture is grown in a tree or standard form, in the form of an ornamental shrub. The design uses single or group plantings, the photo below is an example of a hawthorn hedge.

Decorative hawthorn is used as:

1. The separating element of the zones of the site.
2. Hedges along the edges of the garden path to create an alley.
3. Background bushes near the wall of the building.
4. Decorative design of the edge in the park area.
5. Background on discounts, the center of the flower bed.
6. In combination with coniferous plant species.
7. Creation of various decorative forms or strict dominant accents.
8. Design solution for the design of recreation areas.

A high hawthorn hedge is used as a mask for sanitary areas in public places. It serves as a good screen from the wind and polluted air of megacities.

How to choose a variety of hawthorn for hedges

The culture has a large number of decorative varieties; for arranging a hawthorn hedge, a shrub is chosen with their own hands, taking into account the functionality and characteristics of the plant:

• to protect the site, a tall-growing species is suitable;
• if the goal of the design direction, choose a shrub that lends itself well to cutting, undersized:
• there are a number of species that prefer sandy soils or loamy, slightly alkaline soils; for others, the composition of the soil is not critical;
• differ in shade tolerance and drought resistance;
• take into account the peculiarity of growth: tree-like, standard, shrub.

How fast does a hawthorn hedge grow?

A perennial crop planted on the site has been growing in a permanent place for several decades. The first 3 years does not require constant crown formation, annual growth is within 20 cm. After 5 years, growth is up to 40 cm. Depending on the species, it blooms for 5-8 years, grafted ornamental varieties bear fruit earlier. A 2 m high hedge can be formed 8 years after planting by cutting off the side shoots.

Varieties of hawthorn for hedges

To create a hedge, species with a pyramidal crown shape are planted. As part of the composition, as a single element, varieties with a lowered (weeping) crown are taken. The list of varieties of decorative hawthorn and their photos, popular among professional designers and amateur gardeners, is below.

Fischer hawthorn

The species belongs to deciduous ornamental trees and shrubs, another name is Songarsky hawthorn, Dzungarian hawthorn. It grows up to 6 m in the Central part of Our Country, in the south – up to 8 m. Frost-resistant hawthorn (-27⁰ C). Grows on slightly acidic, slightly alkaline, loamy or sandy soils. It has a high shoot-forming ability. The plant is shade-tolerant, does not require constant watering. The peak of decorativeness during flowering and fruiting.

External characteristic:

• the main trunks are light gray, the branches are dark cherry, the thorns are 10 mm;
• leaves are wedge-shaped, 7-lobed, carved along the edge, 3 cm long, light green with a gray tint;
• inflorescences are complex, 4,5 cm in diameter, white flowers, 1,2 cm in size, pink anther;
• fruits – 1,5 cm, rounded, maroon with white patches, yellow flesh.

It bears fruit from the age of 7, the fruits ripen at the end of September. It is used for ordinary planting, hedges, in a group.

fan-shaped

A representative of ornamental trees, the fan-shaped hawthorn grows along the banks of rivers and on flat terrain. Occurs in the Arkhangelsk, Oryol regions. Multi-stemmed tree 6 m high.

Description of the plant:

• branches upright, sinuous, brown with a green tint, intense thorniness, spines – 10 mm, young shoots are light gray;
• leaves are wide at the base, tapering upward, up to 7 cm long, carved along the edge, dark green;
• complex inflorescences, density – 12 flowers, white flowers, light pink anthers;
• fruits in the form of an ellipse, saturated red color, yellow flesh.

Hawthorn blooms in mid-May, for the 6th year of vegetation. The fruits ripen in early October. The tree is undemanding to the composition of the soil. Prefers open sunny areas, drought-resistant. It is used for planting in a row, creating a hedge, in a composition, as a single plant.

Spot

Hawthorn Dotted refers to the type of ornamental trees and shrubs, reaches up to 10 m. The crown is dense, the first circle of branches forms low from the ground. The tree is spreading, with short central trunks, the branches are horizontal.

Appearance of decorative hawthorn:

• perennial branches dark gray, young brown, thorns rare, up to 7 cm, with a curved end;
• the leaves are large, whole, dark green, in autumn they change color to bright orange;
• flowers white, large, with yellow or red anthers;
• fruits are rounded, 12 pieces per bunch, brown or yellow.

Fruits in October, prefers loamy, neutral soils. Frost resistance is average. Possible freezing of young shoots. It is used for single planting, array, security hedges, for planting in a row.

Pinnatifid

Hawthorn A pinnatifid representative of ornamental trees and shrubs, it belongs to the Far Eastern species. It grows in the form of a sprawling shrub 4,5 m high, the growth gives slowly. It bears fruit from 7 years in mid-August. The culture is frost-resistant. Fertile, well-drained soils are required for full vegetation.

Leaves, flowers and fruits give decorativeness to the shrub:

• the plant has a high shoot-forming ability, shoots and perennial branches are dark gray, thorns are rare;
• drooping inflorescences, large flowers – 1,3 cm, white or cream-colored petals;
• the leaves are dark green, from mid-summer they change to yellow, and by autumn to a red tint;
• fruits are large – up to 1,5 cm, pear-shaped, saturated red.

The plant does not tolerate shade and drought. It is applied to registration of garden, park zones. It lends itself well to pruning when forming a hedge.

Almaty

An ornamental tree, less often a shrub, Alma-Ata hawthorn, belongs to undersized species, reaches a height of up to 5 m. A plant with wide branching, the crown is formed low from the ground, pyramidal in shape.

External characteristic:

• perennial branches dark brown, young shoots with a smooth structure, dark beige, thorns rare, hard;
• flowers are large, 8 pieces per inflorescence, pink or cream;
• leaves are large, dissected with teeth along the edge;
• the berries are bright red at the stage of technical ripeness, when ripe they change to black.

Historical homeland – Kyrgyzstan. The plant is light-loving, well tolerates moisture deficiency. Unpretentious to the composition of the soil, medium frost resistance. It is used in the design of the territory as a single plant, in a group, as a hedge in the background.

Pentapetal

Hawthorn Pyatistolbikovy (hawthorn Pyatistolbikovy) refers to ornamental trees and shrubs. It grows in the Crimea, in the Caucasus, reaches up to 8 m in height. Growth gives intense. Frost resistance is average, the culture is demanding on the composition of the soil (slightly alkaline, sandy). Used in hybridization of ornamental varieties.

External characteristics:

• crown of the correct pyramidal shape, perennial branches are brown, shoots of a gray tint, thorns are small, numerous;
• the leaves are dark, green above, a tone lighter in the lower part, widely wedge-shaped, carved;
• flowers are large with white petals, burgundy anthers;
• fruits are large, black, with a glossy shade.

Use in an array, in group plantings, as a hedge.

Smooth

Hawthorn Smooth (Ordinary, Prickly) – a variety of ornamental trees and shrubs, deciduous culture up to 6 m in height. The crown is dense, oval, growth – up to 25 cm.

Description of the plant:

• perennial branches are brown, annuals are green with smooth bark, thorns are small, straight;
• leaves are wedge-shaped with a jagged structure along the edge, a rich green hue, bright yellow in autumn;
• flowers are large, 10 pieces per inflorescence, white;
• fruits are oval, bright red, glossy.

The culture has hybrid decorative forms with red, combined (white, pink), crimson flowers. Fruit color is yellow or red. Hawthorn is frost-resistant, unpretentious to the composition of the soil, can grow on rocky terrain. Use for arranging hedges, planting in a group or in a row.

decorative pink

Ornamental pink hawthorn is represented by several hybrids.

The most popular and available for purchase:

1. Paul Scarlet – blooms bright, crimson hue, double flowers. It grows up to 4 m. It can grow as a shrub or standard tree. It grows slowly, growth is insignificant. Frost-resistant, unpretentious variety in agricultural technology, used for landscape design.
2. Flora Pleno – with large terry profusely flowering flowers. The decorative time of the plant is the flowering period. The color of the petals is from pale pink to burgundy with white patches. Flowering time – 21 days. It is used as a standard tree for a single planting, also as a planting in a row. Frost resistance is average, prefers moist fertile soils.
3. Hybrid Toba – begins to bloom in early summer, the flowers are large, white, with time they become pink, terry. The plant does not bear fruit, in autumn the crown acquires a fiery orange tone.

Ludmil

A low-growing shrub of an ornamental variety grows up to 80 cm. It is used to create a low hedge, the foreground. Blooms profusely with pink flowers from early June. Fruits are large, edible, bright orange. A variety without thorns, shoots are smooth, dark brown. The plant tolerates shade well, frost-resistant, prefers moderate humidity, excess water is undesirable.

round-leaved

Hawthorn grows in the form of a branchy tree, up to 6 m high, or a sprawling ornamental shrub with a spherical crown.

Appearance;

• leaves are rounded, large, hard, with a glossy surface, with teeth along the edge, dark green;
• branches numerous, thin, gray (closer to black) shade, strongly studded;
• flowers are large, white, 2 cm in diameter;
• berries are maroon, large.

The species is winter-hardy, tolerates drought well. The most common variety for growing hedges. There are hybrid varieties with double flowers of white, red or pink flowers.

Altaic

It grows as a tree or shrub, up to 8 m high.

Description of the plant:

• the crown is dense, the branches are dark gray, the shoots are light green, becoming crimson as it grows;
• spines short, numerous;
• leaves are pinnate or dissected with carved edges;
• flowers are large, completely white;
• berries of medium weight, bright orange.

Blossoms in late May, bears fruit in early September. The decorative variety is photophilous, unpretentious to the composition of the soil, frost-resistant, well tolerates the gas content of urban air. It is used to create a high hedge.

How to plant a hawthorn hedge

Planting hedges in the temperate climate zone are carried out in the spring, after the soil has warmed up. In the southern regions – in spring and autumn. The soil has been prepared since October: they dig up the site, if necessary, neutralize the composition with dolomite flour. Planting material is chosen at the age of 3 years with an intact root and shoots.

Landing algorithm:

1. They make a recess of 60 cm, 55 cm wide, in the form of a continuous trench.
2. A layer (15 cm) of peat and soddy soil, mixed in equal parts, is poured onto the bottom.
3. Planting material is placed at intervals of 1,3 m, covered with soil.
4. To preserve moisture, a hole is made near each seedling of a hedge.
5. Watered, mulched with peat.

The root neck is deepened by 4 cm.

Hawthorn hedge care

After planting a hedge, the plant is cut off completely, leaving 15 cm of the main trunk, over the summer the culture will give young shoots. They begin to form the crown of a hedge after 3 years, shorten last year’s branches by half, young ones by 2/3. Damaged shoots are removed, the hedge is given the desired shape, the top is not touched. The top line is cut when the hawthorn reaches the desired height. After 5 years, pruning is carried out twice, in early June and in October, shoots protruding beyond certain boundaries are removed.

An ornamental plant is fed for the 2nd year of vegetation. In spring, organic matter, in autumn, after loosening the root circle and removing weeds, fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus are applied. Water the hedge up to 3 times, taking into account that the topsoil is not dry, and do not allow waterlogging. The frequency of watering depends on summer rainfall. An adult plant tolerates moisture deficiency well, moderate watering.

Conclusion

A hawthorn hedge gives an aesthetic appearance to the facade of the building, serves as a decorative element in the design of gardens and a plot. A crop is planted in order to protect the territory from outside invasion. Trees and shrubs lend themselves well to pruning. The plant requires standard care: watering, fertilizing, pruning.