Crataegus douglasii

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Crataegus douglasii, commonly known as black hawthorn or Douglas’ thornapple, is a North American hawthorn most abundant in the Pacific Northwest. It grows as a compact, erect shrub or small tree to about 8–9 meters tall, with a trunk up to 10 cm thick. The plant has fan-shaped green leaves 2.5–5 cm long with toothed edges, and short thorns along the branches. White flowers with greenish centers appear in clusters at the ends of branches, and the fruit is a blackish pome about 1 cm across containing 3–5 seeds. The species is named after explorer David Douglas. Some older names for it include Crataegus brockwayae and Crataegus columbiana.

Habitat and range
Crataegus douglasii is native to northern and western North America, especially the Pacific Northwest. It grows in a variety of habitats, from forests to scrublands, including moist open areas, forest edges, thickets, shorelines, stream sides, roadsides, and coastal bluffs at low to middle elevations.

Ecology and uses
The leaves are browsed by cattle and sheep. Birds such as quail, Hungarian partridge, and ring-necked pheasants eat the berries, and bears also feed on them. Magpies nest in its branches. The plant serves as a larval host for several butterfly species, including the gray hairstreak, mourning cloak, pale tiger swallowtail, and western tiger swallowtail. The edible fruits were an important food source for Native American peoples, including the Cheyenne and Nlaka'pamux.

Conservation
Crataegus douglasii is listed as Least Concern.