Lavellee's Hawthorn

Lavallée's hawthorn is a hybrid Crataegus tree or large shrub; Oregon State uses Crataegus × lavallei, while North Carolina State Extension uses Crataegus × lavalleei. The hybrid's parentage is not settled in the cited accounts, so the profile preserves the hybrid identity without assigning a definitive parent pair. [Oregon State University](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/crataegus-lavallei) · [North Carolina State Extension](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/crataegus-x-lavalleei/) ## Features and placement This deciduous hawthorn grows as an erect, rounded or irregular small tree, sometimes with multiple stems. Spring brings clusters of white flowers; red-orange fruit follows in fall and may persist into winter. Leaves can show bronzy-red fall color, and branches carry substantial thorns. North Carolina State Extension gives a mature height of about 15–30 feet; allow space for its spreading crown and avoid placing thorny branches beside paths or play areas. ## Maintenance Give it full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. Avoid persistently wet ground. Once established it tolerates dry periods, but newly planted trees need regular water while roots settle in. The hybrid has been described with different parentage hypotheses and differing spellings of its botanical name; keep the hybrid marker when referring to it and do not substitute a named Carrierei selection. Its spring flowers and persistent fruit provide seasonal interest, while the thorns make placement and maintenance access important. [North Carolina State Extension](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/crataegus-x-lavalleei/) · [Oregon State University](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/crataegus-lavallei)