Downy Hawthorn

Crataegus mollis

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Crataegus is a keystone genus supporting 156 species of butterflies and moths in this ecoregion. The genus provides critical larval host plant resources for large silk moths (Hyalophora cecropia, Antheraea polyphemus, Automeris io), sphinx moths, and swallowtails. Dense thorny branching also provides essential nesting cover for songbirds.
S13 156 lepidoptera; S10 nesting cover for birds
🐛 Larval Host: Sphecodina abbottii, Hemaris thysbe, Paonias myops, Lochmaeus manteo, Acronicta interrupta, Limenitis arthemis, Papilio glaucus, Acronicta funeralis, Paonias excaecatus, Euclea delphinii, Lophocampa caryae, Schizura concinna, Antheraea polyphemus, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia
S13+S15 15 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Persistent pomes consumed by American Robin, Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Pine Grosbeak, and Hermit Thrush. Dense thorny crown provides critical winter shelter. Fruits also taken by Gray Fox, Striped Skunk, and Black Bear; bark gnawed by Cottontail Rabbit in winter.
S57 16 bird species; S10 mammal and bird use; S72 Fr+Sh bird services

Proximity Score: 1
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: S
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.1 – Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) but not ranked subnationally in Ontario or Quebec (SNR). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Quebec specimens are limited to the Montreal area; the species is uncommon in Quebec and at its northeastern range limit.
S22 G5, SNR; S26 not SARA listed; S48 QC specimens from Montreal
Rarity Ranks: QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON SNR – Not Ranked
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Downy hawthorn inhabits woodland borders, alluvial thickets, sandy hillsides, fields, fencerows, and roadsides, most often in fertile loamy or limestone soils. In its core range it colonizes forest edges and abandoned agricultural land. Near the Outaouais it is at the northeastern fringe of its range, with Quebec specimens from the Montreal area only.
S10 habitat; S29 alluvial/limestone soils; S7 habitats; S48 QC specimens from Montreal

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 9 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 7-2, pp. 116, 149)]
Notes: Excellent hedge and barrier plant due to thorny branching; tolerates trimming and resprouts from old wood. Dense thorny crown provides nesting shelter for birds. Pairs well with woodland edge species; the thorny canopy protects understory plantings from deer browse.
S29 hedge use, trimming tolerance; S72 wildlife habitat; S10 bird nesting cover

✅ Edible

Foraging Notes: Fruit eaten raw or cooked; sub-acid, dry and mealy but with a pleasant apple-like sweet-tart flavor. Fruit about 20-25 mm diameter, used for jellies and preserves. The Omaha ate fruits fresh and as a starvation food. A tea-like beverage can be made from the twigs.
S29 edibility rating 4/5, fruit details; S28 Omaha food uses; S10 flavor description