Crataegus x lavalleei 'CARRIEREI'

Lavallée’s hawthorn was found in Segrez Arboretum in France around 1870. It is believed to be a hybrid of c. pubescens (syn. C. Mexicana) and c. calpodendron (sometimes wrongly called c. crus-galli). The arboretum was founded by French botanists Pierre Alphonse Martin Lavallée (1836-1884) and it long belonged among the most prestigious arboretums as it contained the world’s largest collection of woody plants. Pierre himself, however, lived to only 49 years and after his death there was less and less scientific work done at Segrez. There were no new introductions or hybridization as if there was no one to pick up where he left off, and the collection of trees works more like a reflection of one’s fruitful lifelong work.

There is no mention in scientific books whether this hawthorn was hybridized intentionally or naturally which is quite common for this genus. Another mystery is a relationship between Pierre and another significant French botanist of his era, Élie-Abel Carrière (1818-1896), who in 1883, 13 years after Pierre’s finding, in a horticultural magazine Revue horticole introduced his own hawthorn of the same parentage. Did he know about Pierre and his hawthorn? Very probably not because he did not acknowledge his hybrid name and called his tree simply Crataegus carrièrei as a new species. Later the botanists corrected his error and renamed it, honouring Pierre’s tree as the original hybrid and Élie-Abel’s tree as a variety.

Carrièrei hawthorn differs from the original hybrid by a much more profuse blooming and therefore a magnificent display of fruit in autumn. It is a small to mid-sized tree whose leaves, though deciduous, remain on the tree much longer than on other deciduous trees. So no wonder that many gardeners mistakenly consider it evergreen when they see it covered withleaves and fruit yet in November.

Its lush leaves are broadly oval, 7-11 cm long, highly glossy, deep green in spring and summer, and turn deep maroon and orange for a short period just before they fall off. In late spring appear clusters (corymbs) of small, single, white flowers which are followed by large, glossy, orange and scarlet red, harmless berries in autumn thanks to which the tree looks almost like a holly.

Young plants grow rather fast into an upright, narrowly oval shape, slowing down with age and forming an almost rounded canopy which is extremely dense and very handsome. Pruning is usually not necessary but may be done in early spring or after flowering if you want the fruit display. Young twigs bear 4-4.5 cm long, sharp ,but not many thorns which disappear as the tree grows taller and older. It is a perfect tree for small gardens.

Lavallée’s hawthorn is not picky about soil type provided it is not wet. It has deep, non-aggressive roots which can cope with some road salt but will negatively respond to much of it. It is a popular street tree in urban areas with limited space but plenty of sunlight as it cannot grow in deep shade. It is hardy to some -34 °C (USDA zone 4) and is not prone so fire blight.

Last update 27-10-2021