Hawthorns and Medlars (Royal Horticultural Society Plant Collector Guide S.)

With their abundant white flowers, often striking autumn foliage, and colorful fruit, hawthorns and medlars deserve more notice in our gardens and landscapes. Although a handful of species will be familiar to anyone who knows plants — there are over 140 species distributed throughout the world — their diversity as ornamental subjects is vastly underappreciated. Given hawthorns’ interesting biology, cultural history, and uses in cookery and folklore, a book on these fascinating trees and shrubs is long overdue. 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 yet might be welcome additions to the list of generally cultivated forms. All of these are highly worthy of cultivation, and when well grown, make handsome landscape specimens. 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. “Hawthorns and Medlars is the first book devoted exclusively to this group of plants. Written by a botanist with a deep love for his subject, it provides a unique view into lore, science, and practical care. Eleven line drawings and 75 color photographs accompany an informative text.