Black Hawthorn vs White Meadowsweet - TreeTime.ca

Black Hawthorn vs White Meadowsweet

Spiraea alba

Crataegus douglasii

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

White Meadowsweet
Black Hawthorn

White Meadowsweet is a woody, deciduous shrub that begins to bloom in early summer with small white and pink flowers. Its foliage turns from a light green into an attractive golden-yellow later in the fall.

The White Meadowsweet, also known as Mead-Wort or Bride-Wort, is favored by birds and butterflies but is largely ignored by deer. They produce small brown berries in the summer, and while they are technically edible, they are not sweet and are more desired by wildlife.

Black Hawthorn is a versatile plant that is native to wetlands and other areas with moist soils, but can also tolerate dry soils. This plant can be grown as a short shrub, or a tree reaching 30 feet tall.

Black Hawthorn is valued for erosion control and attracting pollinators. It also makes an attractive flowering ornamental that can be planted as a specimen or pruned as a hedge. It is commonly used in shelterbelts.

White Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Black Hawthorn Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 8 m (25 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium


Foliage: contains thorns
Fall colour: golden yellow
Fall colour: yellow to red
Bark: brown to gray
Flowers: white, small
Flowers: white
Berries: purplish-black pomes
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON
Other Names: mead wort, meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort, pipestem
Other Names: crataegus columbiana, douglas hawthorn, douglas' thornapple