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Sunday - June 21, 2015
From: Charlottesville, VA
Region: Southwest
Topic: Propagation, Trees
Title: Can Crataegus viridian be grown in Houston, TX?
Answered by: Guy Thompson
QUESTION:
I am looking to plant Crataegus viridis (species or cultivar "Winter King") at a location in full sun in Houston. Many places I've found online say that it is hearty through Zone 9, but others have suggested otherwise. Many thanks!ANSWER:
I checked several websites on the Internet, and almost all of them indicated that Crataegus viridis (Green hawthorn) cannot be successfully grown in southern Texas. A hardiness zone map offers a hint as to why that is. Although I have not found a confirmation of my hypothesis on the Internet, I feel sure that Green hawthorn must require a specific number of winter days below a certain temperature to bloom profusely and set a good crop of berries. This "chilling requirement" is what prevents some varieties of fruit trees from bearing well in the South.
You might want to consider a different species. Here is a list of possibilities, although some of these do better in part shade. I might suggest Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur hawthorn) and Cordia boissieri (Mexican olive) as being similar in some respects to Crataegus viridis. Some of these plants should be available at your Houston area plant nurseries.
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