Learn how to grow mayhaw trees, a productive southern shrub that can be trained into small trees often found in wet areas such as wetlands, swamps, shallow ponds, and along the banks of creeks and rivers.
Often located on the banks of ponds and rivers, the mayhaw (Crataegus aestivalis) is a deciduous, primarily Southern shrub in the hawthorn family that can be trained into a small tree. It can be found as far west as Mississippi and as far north as southeastern Virginia. Mayhaws thrive in wet areas, such as wetlands, swamps, and shallow ponds. Some can reach 30 feet in height. The mayhaw comprises about half a dozen popular cultivars and a western species (C. opaca), all of which produce edible fruit. The range of C. opaca extends from southeastern Texas to the Florida Panhandle, and as far north as southern Arkansas.
Will Nance, team member at The Farm at Okefenokee, prefers the wild variety of C. aestivalis, which is available at some nurseries that carry native plants. The Farm at Okefenokee is a rural agriculture community near Folkston, Georgia, that offers a farm-focused lifestyle. The Farm has around 2,000 planted mayhaws, which yielded 160 gallons of mayhaw fruit in 2022. Here, Nance shares his expert advice from his experience growing these hardy, beautiful, and bountiful plants at The Farm.
Mayhaw Tree Identification
Consider the following characteristics to help determine if you’re looking at a mayhaw.
- Branches. Mayhaw branches have, on average, 1-to-3-inch thorns, so exercise caution when examining them.
- Leaves. Mayhaw leaves are deep green with dark lobes and fine serrations. Since mayhaws are deciduous, they’ll shed most of their leaves before winter.
- Bark. Mature mayhaw bark is gray, and as it ages, it’ll turn from smooth to developing vertical fissures and narrow ridges.
- Flowers. Mayhaws produce prolific, five-petaled, white blooms, typically in early spring – hence their name.
- Fruits. The small fruits begin to ripen in May to early June. The fruits are similar to cranberries in appearance and to crabapples in taste. Nance describes their flavor as “very tart and acidic to somewhat tasteless,” better suited for jelly and jam than for eating fresh. The fruit is ready for harvest once its color has changed to bright red and a few fruits have fallen from the trees. Its flesh should still be crisp and firm when ripe, not mushy.
Growing Mayhaws
- Soil. Start with 3-gallon pots to make the thorns more manageable, but get them in the ground as soon as possible. Plant them in a slightly moist, acidic soil. They can also handle sandier soils on account of their strong roots, which, as Nance notes, are partly what makes the plants a boon to erosion-prevention efforts. Mayhaws can be grown in Zones 6a to 11b, but they don’t thrive in areas that receive heavy frost.
- Quantity. While you may get a good crop from one tree, planting 3 to 5 trees is ideal for cross-pollination and optimal harvest. “To get any sort of a significant yield where you’d be able to use them for jam and jelly, you’d need multiple plants,” Nance says. “It’s going to be a couple of years before you get anything significant. They need time to mature.”
- Fertilizer. When The Farm initially planted its orchard of mayhaws, workers fertilized the trees once a week with an organic granular 4-4-4 blend. The fertilizer schedule was later changed to “as needed,” once every quarter or so, depending on the growth rate. The workers fertilize the mayhaws through the fruiting stage, but then pause this schedule during the harvesting stage.
- Maintenance. Mayhaws require light maintenance. Nance prunes them through the growing cycle and watches out for suckers to make sure the tree is producing its optimal yield. He has also noticed occasional signs of cedar apple rust, which he treats with a biologic.
- Harvesting. To harvest the fruit, workers at The Farm lay down tarps and shake the trees. They then wash and sort the fruit and freeze it for further use. Nance estimates that 90 percent of the harvested berries are usable. This high yield makes the mayhaw a boon to any farm.
Originally published as “Make the Most of Mayhaws” in the October/November 2024 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
Kenny Coogan earned a master’s degree in global sustainability and co-hosts the “Mother Earth News and Friends” podcast. He also created and hosts the TV show Florida’s Flora and Fauna with Conservationist Kenny Coogan.
