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Crataegus azarolus
Also called Crete Hawthorn, Mediterranean Hawthorn, Mediterranian Medler, Mosfilia, Oriental Hawthorn, Mediterranean Medlar, Azarole Hawthorn
Azarole is a small tree or large shrub native to the Mediterranean Basin and parts of Western Asia, grown for its plump, edible haw fruits. It is hardy and tolerant of dry, poor soils, and is commonly grown as a fruit or ornamental tree rather than as a houseplant.
Crataegus azarolus is a species of hawthorn known by the common names azarole, azerole (from Arabic: الزُّعرُورَة, romanized: az-zu'rūra) and Mediterranean medlar. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and is a common plant there, growing on sites comparable to those the European common hawthorn grows on. In the Arab countries it is the most common hawthorn species. When growing in the wild, the azerole bears plentiful crops of haw fruits, which are similar to the haws of the European common hawthorn, but more plump.
C. azarolus is often divided into subspecies or varieties, for example Christensen in his monograph uses four varieties:
Cockspur hawthorn · Harbison's hawthorn · Various Leaved Hawthorn · Midland Hawthorn · Manzanita tejocotera · Downy hawthorn · Hawthorn · Glossy hawthorn · Plumleaf hawthorn · Washington hawthorn · Chinese haw · Dzhungarskei Hawthorn
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Crataegus azarolus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
