Will a hawthorn grow from cuttings?

[BertieFox]

We have several red hawthorn trees growing on land adjacent to our garden and I would dearly like to propagate these to get them on our own land I'm not sure if they come true from the berries or seeds, and in any case, that would take a very long time to get a flowering specimen.

I read on the Internet that they do not strike from hardwood cuttings, though the occasional comment is made that someone, somewhere has succeeded. I am trying semi-hardwood cuttings at the moment. As almost all the new material was flowering shoots, I have removed all the flower buds and planted them deeply in a vermiculite and compost mix, standing in water.

I am so far misting them with a handspray three times or more (when I remember) a day.

Will all this effort end up as a waste of time? Or has somebody out there succeeded with hawthorn cuttings?

[Kristen]

I suspect that they are mostly grown from seed, but that probably needs stratifying / winterising so not entirely straightforward.

Don't know how many you need, but I have bought quite a lot of "regular" hedge plants (Holly, Hornbeam, Holm Oak) as cell-grown, potted them up to 9cm, potted on to 1L, and planted out in the Autumn - by which time they are decent sized plants (waist high-ish)

I have bought from Cheviot Trees - Cell Grown Trees & Plants - they are listing Hawthorn as 39p each (100-off, 20/40) or 44p (100-off 40/60)

[BertieFox]

Thanks for that advice Kristen. I suspect you are right and I will have to find a source such as a nursery for my red hawthorn. (There are plenty around this part of France). It's just not something you usually see in garden centres over here.

Of course, my real wish is to propagate something myself. I may have to resort to sowing the seed and leaving it out all winter to be stratified. Judging from the number of self-sown common white hawthorn we have coming up all over the place, that might not be too difficult, but my concern is that red hawthorn may not come up as red from seed if it has been cross pollinated with the common kind.

[roitelet]

Have you thought of grafting them?

[Kristen]

(There are plenty around this part of France)

Sorry overlooked that bit! Dunno if you have Forestry Suppliers near you? They are the sorts of people I have got cell grown plants from over here. Won't make much sense unless you need 100+

Of course, my real wish is to propagate something myself

I'm in that camp too but I don't think I would bother for Hawthorn. Although I do dig up lots of little Hollies and Yews - there is a particularly collection of trees where the birds obvious congregate for a sing-song after eating all the local berries! Don't know if you could just dig-up-seedlings from nearby and pot-up? That will save a year's growing time ... and come summer grazing animals / drought / etc. are probably going to kill all/most of the seedlings anyway.