x Crataemespilus grandiflora Camus

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘This tree, the origin of which is unknown, is considered by most botanists to be an accidental hybrid between Crataegus oxyacantha and Mespilus germanica; but Koehne considers it to be an independent species, possibly native of the Caucasus.  Five apparently wild shrubs were found in 1875 at Saint-Sernin-du-Bois, near Autun, in Seine-et-Loire, in a hedge around the ruins of an old priory, by Dr. Giliot, whose interesting article should be studied.  This remarkable tree, of which there is a good specimen 3 at Kew, near the Director’s office, was in cultivation at Paris about 1800 ; and possibly earlier in England, as Loudon mentions old trees at Syon and other places near London.’  [Elwes & Henry - The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland, vol.VII, p.1732/1913].

A gentleman driving through Devon, past hedges of Hawthorn in full bloom, wrote to The Gardeners Chronicle with this description of Mespilus grandiflora, which could hardly be bettered: ‘I had ceased to regard [the hawthorn] with interest, when my eye was suddenly attracted by one having an abundance of star-like white blossoms.  I had passed it, but could not help looking back to observe again its singular appearance.  Satisfied by a second glance that it was different from anything I had seen before, I dismounted to examine it more minutely.  It was a large bush, similar in general growth, colour of bark, texture of wood, and thorns to the common Hawthorn bushes around it; but very different as regarded the leaves and blossoms.  The latter were like those of a strawberry, each set in a radius of leaves like that of the Rhododendron.  On some of the branches I observed some dark brown pods, the fruit of last year, somewhat similar to those of a Medlar but they contained no seed.’  [Gard. Chron. 1858].  

History at Camden Park

Presumably introduced to the gardens between 1850 and 1857.  Listed only in the 1857 catalogue [T.676/1857].

Notes