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Plant a Hawthorn Tree for Fall Beauty

I see a lot of Hawthorn trees in Seattle--they are usually planted along the streets, and they are usually quite ugly. I have never liked them at all. But today, I changed my mind.

While walking in Edmonds, WA, I spied a row of beautiful young Hawthorn trees bursting with clusters of red berries. They were a welcome, cheerful site on this cold autumn day.

The habit of these Hawthorns was quite lovely, with a pleasing, oval shape. The leaves are green and glossy, and the berries pop in contrast.

Copied straight from Wikipedia: Crataegus ( /krəˈtiːɡəs/),^[1] commonly called hawthorn or thornapple,^[2] is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae,

You can see the similarities to the rose family in the thorns, of course (it is called hawthorn), and the berries remind me of the large round bulbs of the Rosa Rugosa plant.

Maybe the typical Seattle street Hawthorn tree is unattractive because it has been neglected, standing unpruned for decades. Or maybe the Hawthorn just looks better when it's young (hmmm, I feel the same way!). In any case, these specimens clearly show that this is a great tree to plant for lovely fall color.

And one more look at those gorgeous berries:

One thing we Seattleites have plenty of is water. Many of the homes in this area have stunning water views--or would have stunning water views if the trees and bushes didn't grow so rapidly (another by-product of having so much water!).

The Blooma tree service men are often called upon to help homeowners re-gain the water view that caused them to love their homes in the first place. The two photos shown here illustrate how dramatic a difference we can make with some judicious pruning, called crown reduction. This home is in Ballard (a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

When we see the front yards, we always notice the trees. Sometimes the trees are just right--they are shaped nicely, they're healthy, and they're the right size for the house and yard. In this case, the tree is an asset.

Sometimes, though, the trees really detract from the house, really bringing down the curb appeal. Trees that are unhealthy, or badly pruned, or too big or too small, or just plain ugly are not an asset to a home. They are an eyesore.

I offer you my first photos of Seattle area houses. Are the trees an asset? Or are they an eyesore?

The following photos were taken in the same Mukilteo cul-de-sac.

House #1

Beautifully landscaped yard with a lovely variety of trees and bushes . . . except for . . .

this cherry tree by the front door. What an unattractive pruning job!

House #2

This house is quite beautiful and large. But what is the centerpiece of the yard?

What is that? An umbrella tree? I don't know, but it's far too small for the house. Plus it in unnatural, misshapen, and unhealthy. Time to remove this sad little tree and re-plant.

House #3

What do you think of these three trees? Asset? or Eyesore?