Hawthorn won't flower

[Joe Dupre']

I need some suggestions. This parsley hawthorn is starting it's sixth year of growth from a stump. It's put on tremendous growth every year except for one year that was almost completely lost due to aphids. I got that under control, thankfully. Problem is it has never flowered. The last couple of years it has grown like a weed. Here we are in late March, and I just measured the longest shoot at 15" (38 cm). She seems mighty happy. It's not potbound, the soil still drains well, and I fertilize regularly during the growing season, but still no flowers. I think it was mature enough to flower when collected but not sure if it flowered in the past. Any insights would be appreciated.

 

[ABCarve]

Mine took 12 years to start flowering.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I have a number of native hawthorns in my back yard and they never flower, let alone the ones I have in pots. They seem to be very unreliable in my opinion.

 

[n8]

Could be a male. Or is this a hermaphrodite?

I know the Crataegus monogyna I have locally are male and female. Only the females flower.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Could be a male. Or is this a hermaphrodite?

I know the Crataegus monogyna I have locally are male and female. Only the females flower.

Crataegus monogyna have hermaphrodite flowers, is not dioecious. Most of Crataegus have them, idk any Crataegus species that has separate sex flowers

 

[n8]

idk any Crataegus species that has separate sex flowers

Good to know. I notice that some consistently flower every year and some do not, so I made an assumption. Then met with a guy last week whose monogyna bonsai never flowers and he blamed it on sex.

 

[Tums]

Here's an article on it http://bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/AT Hawthornfloweringbonsai 2.html

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

My little hip hawthorn was in flower when I chopped it to a stump in 1999, and it has not flowered since. I know it has the capacity, so I wait.

 

[Joe Dupre']

It seems I'm not alone in this. Brain........1999??!! You win the patience award, my friend.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Maybe the tree is TOO healthy and vigorous. It may be in perpetual imature, vegetative mode. Should I prune back the long shoots to a couple of pairs of leaves, maybe??

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Maybe the tree is TOO healthy and vigorous. It may be in perpetual imature, vegetative mode. Should I prune back the long shoots to a couple of pairs of leaves, maybe??

I would prune with the intent to develop branch structure at this point and not worry about flowers.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Thanks, Brian. It's just about where I want it as far as branch structure. I'll just keep at it and hope for flowers one day.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I mean if you really want regular and consistent flowering I guess you can graft with another Crataegus species that is known to flower profusely like Crataegus laevigata

 

[sorce]

I would guess the abundant health would keep them from flowering and any safe attempt to keep them unhealthy enough to flower would remove what would have flowered.

Glue em on. Berries too.

Sorce

 

[Joe Dupre']

Not devistated, just slightly annoyed. I enjoy the tree very much as it is, but would welcome some beautiful flowers. Patience, Grasshopper.

 

[NaoTK]

My hawthorns flower and fruit every year. I pump them with miracle grow every week as they are still being built up. If you are still building branch taper try lots of nitrogen this year.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

My hawthorns flower and fruit every year. I pump them with miracle grow every week as they are still being built up. If you are still building branch taper try lots of nitrogen this year.

What species they are? Diferent species and cultivars even if they are in the same genus can behave differently in cultivation and you also have to consider the climate in your zone

 

[NaoTK]

phaenopyrum, monogyna and douglasii. Nitrogen is king is all I'm saying.

 

[Shibui]

I've also found hawthorn slow to flower down here but they do eventually get round to it. My first collected C. monogyna took 12 years to produce the first flowers on a single branch. Gradually other branches have started to flower and took another 8-10 years for other branches to follow. Now it flowers well on most branches each year.
Like apples and pears, hawthorn develop fruiting spurs so pruning and developing structure will help initiate flowering.
Long, vegetative growth rarely produces flowers so I'm intrigued that @NaoTK has such good flowering using high N fert. Usually its the other way round and lower N helps induce flowers and fruit.

 

[Sansokuu]

Try a phosphorous heavy fertilizer. Plants want to flower and fruit if they think their life is in danger so maybe crack your knuckles at it and make a few threats (or clip back the vegetative growth). My dad swears by chicken manure for flowering trees (it has nitrogen but a lot of phosphorous and potassium too), maybe try some well aged stuff so it doesn’t burn. If that and time doesn’t do it you might very well have a happy boy hawthorn. Are parsley hawthorn native to your area? You’ve seen flowers on the wild ones?