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May Hawthorn

Crataegus aestivalis

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in swamps. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

81
Keystone

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
10–40 feet
Spread
35–40 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Moist to standing water

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

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At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to April
Fruiting season
June to July

Recorded in 6 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 150 animals.

All wildlife of Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

98CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · 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
  • Acronicta interruptaInterrupted Dagger
  • Acronicta radcliffeiRadcliffe's Dagger
  • Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Show all 98
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Archips griseaGray Archips
  • 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 gryneaWoody Underwing
  • Catocala lincolnanaLincoln Underwing
  • Catocala miraWonderful 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
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
  • Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
  • 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
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • 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
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
  • 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
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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Rosaceae
Hardiness
Zones 6a–11b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
June
Fruit ends
July

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

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNR
Global rankG5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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