Scarlet Hawthorn
Crataegus coccinea
Found in deciduous forest understories, pastures, upland thickets. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
88
Keystone
Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 82%
- Height
- 20–25 feet
- Spread
- 20–25 feet
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil moisture
- Average
Space about 22.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?No photograph yet. Looking for an old drawing…
At a glance
- Bloom
- May
- Fruiting season
- October
JFMAMJJASOND
Not yet recorded · Life cycle · Leaves
Recorded in 16 Virginia counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 3
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
140CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA
Genus host records with ranges including VA · Crataegus
- Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
- Limenitis arthemisRed-spotted Purple
- Acleris nivisellanaApple Leaf Twister, Snowy-Shouldered Acleris
- Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta clarescensClear Dagger
- Acronicta fragilisFragile Dagger
- Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta interruptaInterrupted Dagger
Show all 140
- Acronicta radcliffeiRadcliffe's Dagger
- Acronicta superansSplendid Dagger, Chieftain Dagger
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Ancylis fuscocilianaSpider-Web Leaffolder
- Ancylis nubeculanaApple Leaf Folder, Little Cloud Ancylis
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips cerasivoranaCherry Tent Caterpillar, Cherry Worm, Ugly Nest Caterpillar
- Archips griseaGray Archips
- Argyrostrotis anilisShort-Lined Chocolate
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Balsa labeculaWhite-Blotched Balsa
- Balsa tristrigellaThree-Lined Balsa
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Carposina fernaldanaCurrant Fruitworm Moth
- Catastega aceriellaMaple Trumpet Skeletonizer
- Catocala alabamaeAlabama Underwing, [Titan Underwing]
- Catocala blandulaCharming Underwing
- Catocala clintoniiClinton's Underwing
- Catocala crataegiHawthorne Underwing, Thorn Underwing
- Catocala dulciolaSweet Underwing
- Catocala gryneaWoody Underwing
- Catocala miraWonderful Underwing
- Catocala mirandaMiranda 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
- Coptotriche malifoliellaApple Leaf Trumpet Miner Moth
- Dasychira vagansVariable Tussock Moth
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Dysstroma citrataDark Marbled Carpet
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Epirrita autumnataThe Autumnal Moth, November Moth
- Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Euchlaena johnsonariaJohnson's Euchlaena
- Euchlaena tigrinariaMotted Euchlaena
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eulithis gracilineataGreater Grapevine Looper
- Eumacaria madopataBrown-Bordered Geometer
- Euphyia intermediataSharp-Angled Carpet Moth, The Intermediate
- Eupsilia vinulentaStraight-Toothed Sallow
- Glenoides texanariaTexas Gray
- Grapholita packardiCherry Fruit Worm
- Grapholita prunivoraLesser Apple Worm
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Hedya chionosemaTwin-Spotted Budworm, White-Spotted Hedya
- Hedya separatanaPink-Washed Leafroller Moth
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
- Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
- Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
- Limenitis archippusViceroy
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
- Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
- Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
- Lomographa glomerariaGray Spring Moth
- Lomographa semiclarataBluish Spring Moth, Wildcherry Looper
- Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
- Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
- Lyonetia prunifoliellaStriped Bent-wing
- Lytrosis unitariaCommon Lytrosis
- Macaria coortariaFour-Spotted Angle, Four-Spotted Granite
- Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
- 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
- Oreana unicolorellaLadder-Marked Caterpillar
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia garmaniGarman's Quaker
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Orthosia revictaSubdued 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
- Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
- Phyllonorycter crataegellaApple Leaf Miner, Apple Blotch Leafminer, Apple Leafblotch Miner
- Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Pseudexentera maliPale Apple Budworm, Pale Apple Leafroller
- Pseudexentera maracanaBanded Pseudexentera
- Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
- Psorosina hammondiApple Leaf Skeletonizar
- Rhopobota dietzianaWinterberry Moth
- Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
- Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Selenia alcipheariaNorthern Selenia, Northern Thorn
- Semioscopis packardellaPackard's Concealer Moth, Packard's Semioscopis
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Sparganothis unifascianaOne-Lined Sparganothis
- 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
- Triphosa haesitataTissue Moth, Brown Tissue
- Xanthorhoe lacustrataToothed Brown Carpet
- Zale lunataLunate Zale
- Zale minereaColorful Zale
- Bucculatrix pomifoliella
- Parornix crataegifoliella
- Stigmella castaneaefoliella
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
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 4
- Asclera puncticollis
- Coccinella sanguinea
- Euphoria fulgida
- Molorchus bimaculatus
Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA
Flies 9
- Bombylius pulchellus
- Calliphora erythrocephala
- Microchrysa polita
- Morellia micans
- Phormia regina
- Psilota buccata
- Rhamphomyia priapulus
- Sarcophaga sinuata
- Syrphus torvus
Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA
Adult butterflies / moths 2
- Anosia plexippus
- Vanessa huntera
Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA
Other wasps 3
- Polistes pallipes
- Polistes variatus
- Tiphia clypeata
Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA
No records yet · Ants · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–7
- Fruit begins
- October
- Fruit ends
- October
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “May” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit begins · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Hardiness · “Zones 4–7” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Height · “20–25 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Light · “Full sun” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Soil · “Medium” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Spread · “20–25 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Also known as
Ontario Haw Thorn; Ontario Hawthorn; Scarlet Haw Thorn
Conservation status
| Virginia rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| VA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
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Sources
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- FloraQuest: Northern Tier (Weakley), phone app (app page)
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications