Arnold Hawthorn vs White Meadowsweet - TreeTime.ca

Arnold Hawthorn vs White Meadowsweet

Crataegus arnoldiana

Spiraea alba

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Arnold Hawthorn
White Meadowsweet

Arnold Hawthorn is a low-branched tree favored by wildlife and landscapers. This tree's beautiful white flowers and bright red berries make it an attractive ornamental in anyone's yard. Arnold Hawthorn is also used in windbreaks and riparian planting.

Despite its thorns, Arnold Hawthorn is a popular choice of food and shelter for deer and birds. Humans can also eat these berries fresh or preserved, but Arnold Hawthorn will not have high yields until it matures at 5-8 years.

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.

Arnold Hawthorn Quick Facts

White Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high


Foliage: contains thorns
Fall colour: yellow
Fall colour: golden yellow
Bark: gray to brown
Flowers: white
Flowers: white, small
Berries: red pomes about 1 cm in diameter
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: mead wort, meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort, pipestem