Cockspur Hawthorn

Crataegus crus-galli

Keystone

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: About 30 feet
Spread: 25–35 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to average

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Crataegus crus-galli — foliage photograph — (c) Taro Ietaka, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Late spring
Fruiting season: Summer to fall

Recorded in 19 Florida counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 90 animals.

Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Screech-owl
Megascops asio
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Wood-pewee
Contopus virens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Henslow's Sparrow
Ammodramus henslowii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
King Rail
Rallus elegans
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

99CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Crataegus

Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
Limenitis arthemisRed-spotted Purple
Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
Acronicta clarescensClear Dagger
Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra

Show all 99

Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Archips griseaGray Archips
Argyresthia oreasellaCherry Shoot Borer
Argyrostrotis anilisShort-Lined Chocolate
Argyrotaenia ivanaIvana Leafroller Moth
Automeris ioIo Moth
Balsa labeculaWhite-Blotched Balsa
Catocala alabamaeAlabama Underwing, [Titan Underwing]
Catocala blandulaCharming Underwing
Catocala clintoniiClinton's Underwing
Catocala crataegiHawthorne Underwing, Thorn Underwing
Catocala grisatraGrisatra Underwing
Catocala gryneaWoody Underwing
Catocala lincolnanaLincoln Underwing
Catocala miraWonderful Underwing
Catocala mirandaMiranda Underwing
Catocala orbaOrba Underwing
Catocala praeclaraPraeclara Underwing, Chokeberry Underwing, Charlotte's Underwing
Catocala pretiosaPrecious Underwing, Texarkana Underwing
Catocala ultroniaUltronia Underwing
Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
Cenopis diluticostanaSpring Dead-Leaf Roller Moth, Oak Cenopis
Ceratomia undulosaWaved Sphinx
Cerma cerinthaTufted Bird-Dropping Moth, Cherry Agate
Cerma coraThe Agate
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
Cryptothelea gloveriiOrange Bagworm
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
Eulithis gracilineataGreater Grapevine Looper
Eumacaria madopataBrown-Bordered Geometer
Glenoides texanariaTexas Gray
Grapholita packardiCherry Fruit Worm
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Hedya chionosemaTwin-Spotted Budworm, White-Spotted Hedya
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
Limenitis archippusViceroy
Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
Lomographa glomerariaGray Spring Moth
Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
Lytrosis unitariaCommon Lytrosis
Macaria coortariaFour-Spotted Angle, Four-Spotted Granite
Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
Morrisonia mucensGray Woodgrain
Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
Phaecasiophora niveiguttanaLabyrinth Moth
Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
Rhopobota dietzianaWinterberry Moth
Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Sphecodina abbottiiAbbott's Sphinx
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Synanthedon pictipesLesser Peachtree Borer Moth
Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
Syndemis afflictanaFall Dead-Leaf Roller, Gray Leafroller, Black-and-Grey Banded Leafroller
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Xanthorhoe lacustrataToothed Brown Carpet
Zale lunataLunate Zale
Zale minereaColorful Zale
Catocala aestivalia
Stigmella castaneaefoliella

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

11BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Crataegus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

14BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Crataegus

Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
Melanerpes carolinusRed-bellied Woodpecker
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Patagioenas fasciataBand-tailed Pigeon
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird

Show all 14

Sitta carolinensisWhite-breasted Nuthatch
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
Tyrannus verticalisWestern Kingbird

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Beetles 3

Acmaeodera culta
Euphoria fulgida
Molorchus bimaculatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 11

Didea fasciata
Empis distans
Eristalis latifrons
Helicobia 4-setosa
Morellia micans
Orthoneura nitida
Phormia regina
Phormia terraenovae
Rhamphomyia mutabilis
Volucella vesiculosa

Show all 11

Xanthogramma emarginata

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 1

Anosia plexippus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 4

Ancistrocerus tigris
Eumenes fraternus
Polistes pallipes
Symmorphus debilis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Rosaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3–7
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: White
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Single stem
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Late spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “White” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3–7” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Height · “About 30 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Leaves · “Deciduous” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Light · “Full sun” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
Soil · “medium to dry” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
Soil pH · “Acidic” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Spread · “25–35 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder

Conservation status

Florida rank	Not available
Global rank	G5
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Cockspur Hawthorn

At a glance

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Crataegus