Hawthorns and Medlars

Hawthorns and Medlars was the first in our Plant Collector Guide series, published in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society. Ideal for the avid gardener, horticulturist, and plant collector, these inspirational books provide an opportunity to learn about some lesser-known, but increasingly collectable genera.

Most hawthorns are vastly underappreciated as ornamental subjects, but given their interesting biology, cultural history, and uses in cookery and folklore, these fascinating trees and shrubs are long overdue their own book. This book focuses on those hawthorns (genus Crataegus) and medlars (genus Mespilus) of greatest interest to horticulturists, some 70 wild species, many of which are seldom cultivated outside botanic gardens or arboreta. A substantial range of ornamental cultivars and the best-known horticulturally created hybrids are also treated, and the author provides detailed information on how to best grow, propagate, and hybridize these plants.