Crataegus azarolus

A tree with a structural appearance with clusters of impressive white flowers. At the end of summer, it fills with small red round fruits. The appearance is impressive, and the fruits taste sweet Thorny branches spread and emerge from the line of the tree’s canopy. It is deciduous and grows slowly. As a result, it is a durable tree with a long life expectancy that can handle heatwave conditions and also excels in lower temperatures and in areas with frosts. It is suitable for all soil types, except for saline, though it is more comfortable in heavy soils. It is common, and sometimes even grows wild, in mountain areas, including high mountains, as well as in the Jordan Valley and lowlands. When young, it benefits from auxiliary watering until it is established, and in dry years, watering will contribute to a fresh appearance and accelerate the growth rate. Proactive propagation of the tree is quite difficult and requires skill.

Other varieties of hawthorn in Israel are Crataegus monogyna, which is smaller, and Crataegus calpodendron, which has lighter foliage and a very small fruit with a shape somewhat reminiscent of a pear.