Is Hawthorn A Good Tree For Bonsai?

There are a number of different varieties of hawthorn, but today we will be talking about the common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) which is native to Europe and can now be found pretty much all across the world.

Hawthorn is a tough little shrubby tree that can be found growing anywhere and is often used as hedges. It can also be covered in thorns when it is young which is why it can make a great hedge.

Is Hawthorn A Good Species for Bonsai?

Hawthorn is actually really good for bonsai. You will not see it in Japanese collections as the tree does not grow their naturally, however you will see it in bonsai collections all across Europe.

Hawthorns can look outstanding as bonsai. They have a lot of great attributes that you would want from a bonsai. It has nice leaves, is a strong grower and can take a lot of work and it responds well to it. This is made even better by the fact that they can flower and produce little red berries which are a delight to see.

Is Hawthorns Foliage Good For Bonsai?

The foliage is very unique and makes identifying hawthorn very easy. The leaves have little lobes and look pretty cool.

Leaf Size

When they are growing full size the leaves are naturally small. However for bonsai they can be reduced with the right techniques and made even smaller. This means you can have a hawthorn at any size and it will still look in proportion. 

Internode Length

The internode length isn’t too bad with hawthorns. They can get a little bit too long if you let the tree grow wild, but with good management you can really get the length down and have the leaves really close together.

Is Hawthorns Growth Rate Good For Bonsai?

Hawthorns are moderately paced growers. Given the right conditions they can grow quite fast.

However, they can take quite a while to develop a thick trunk, so if you can find one of these, you go for that option. Trying to grow your own thick trunk from a small tree is possible, but it will take you a long time which is not ideal.

Sourcing hawthorn through yamdori is the best way to ensure you get a really good trunk. It is going to be much easier and faster than trying to grow one and will make far superior bonsai.

Response To Pruning

Hawthorns are extremely tough when it comes to pruning. They can really take a lot of work and will not skip a beat. They also respond really well and will reliably give you new shoots where you prune.

Back Budding

Hawthorns are crazy back budders. They will throw new shoots out all over the tree throughout the year. You will need to keep your eye on this as you will find lots of unwanted growth in the crotches of branches. You will also find they will send many shoots out from the one spot, which means if you are not careful, you will end up with a lot of knuckles along your branch, which can be very annoying.

Their ability to back bud is also why they make great yamadori. You can basically cut a tree back to a bare stump and then dig it out. Given the right conditions this stump will push loads of new buds all over and start growing.  

Hawthorn will also fire out a lot of water shoots, which are basically long thin, fast growing shoots from the base of the tree. These do not really have any benefit for bonsai and need to be removed. they are basically the same as suckers.

Ramification

Due to hawthorns ability to back bud, have short internodes and small leaves, you can really build some tight and compact ramification. You can build a really strong branch structure very quickly on hawthorn.                 

Is Hawthorns Styling Ability Good For Bonsai?

You can style a hawthorn in a number of different ways. They are a deciduous tree so you probably want to lean into a style that suits this type of tree.

Wiring

You will need to wire your hawthorn. They have a tendency to grow quite straight and if you prune them a lot the new shoots can come out at a bit of a sharp angle. These can both leave you with a branch that does not look quite right and you will find wiring will solve this.

You also need to wire the shoots quite early as they can very quickly become quite rigid and hard to bend.

Is Hawthorns Fall Colours Good For Bonsai?

In autumn you will not really be impressed. The colour of the leaves is not great. They turn a yellow colour with brown spots, it’s really nothing special. I have a full size hawthorn at the end of my garden and even this does not bring any excitement.

However, you may get some red berries at this time, which does add a lot of interest and excitement to your tree.

If you have these berries, it means you will have witnessed the real treat that hawthorn can offer … the spring flowers.

The flowers are amazing and certainly a lot better looking than the autumn leaves. The are small and white and just look great on any bonsai.   

Is Hawthorns Winter Silhouette Good For Bonsai?

The hawthorn will lose all its leaves allowing you to see the full silhouette and structure of the tree. If you have the berries these can remain on the tree after the leaves have gone, which can be a very cool look. 

Is Hawthorns Bark Good For Bonsai?

The bark on hawthorns is amazing. If you are able to get an older tree you will be blown away by the bark. This is again why searching for a yamdori is the best option. You are going to be able to dig up an older tree that already has well established bark.

The bark is very gnarly and ridged on old trees. If your tree is young it is going to look smooth and silvery, it’s still nice, but the older stuff is exceptional. You will also find it is easier to hide wounds when you have older bark as it is able to merge in much easier and become hidden.

Deadwood Opportunities

Deadwood branches are not really ideal on a hawthorn since it is a deciduous tree, however if you have a powerful trunk, some carving can look really impressive. If you are using yamadori it is probably already going to have a lot of character through battling nature in the wild. It may already have dead sections on the trunk which you can accentuate with carving.

Are Hawthorns Roots Good For Bonsai?

The roots are an area that makes hawthorns a little troublesome for bonsai. While the top of the tree can take a lot of work and is very robust, the roots are little fussier and do not grow as aggressively. If you prune them as much as some other deciduous trees you will find they will not be happy.

They really do not like to be disturbed often. You are better to be cautious when pruning the roots and try and keep as much fine rooting as possible.

While getting a yamdori is the best option, you need to know what you are doing when it comes to hawthorn; it is not as simple as just digging the tree up. Its slow root growth is often why most collected trees die. You need to be able to collect a tree with a lot of good roots to really improve its chances of surviving.

Is Hawthorn Easy To Care For As Bonsai

Hawthorns are pretty easy to care for. Once you have them established they have very basic care needs.

You can read more information in my Hawthorn Care Guide.

Conclusion

Hawthorns will make a great bonsai tree, especially if you have some older material to work with. You can build some great structures and ramification very easily. You do need to be a little cautious with the roots but apart from that they are pretty easy to deal with and look really good.

They are one of the most popular European trees to use for bonsai and if you have the chance, you should add one to your collection.