Navadni glog Crategus oxyacantha

Features

Is a large shrub or small tree growing to 12 metres.

Species	Scrubs (Nanofanerophytes)
Living space	Bright forest, Field, Treeline
Size	up to 12 m

Description

It is a monoecious and insectivorous species. The bark on the trunk is ashy gray and smooth, later dark brown and finely cracked. The root system is shallow. Young shoots are reddish brown and at first slightly hairy, but later glabrous with 0.6 to 1.5 cm long spines. The leaves are 3-5 cm long, bright green and shiny above, gray-green below and sometimes slightly hairy along the veins. The flowers are bisexual, up to 1.5 cm wide, white or slightly pink, 5-10 grouped in inflorescences. The flowers are 5-numbered, have 20-25 anthers with bright red anthers, pistil has 2 or 3, rarely 1 neck. From fertilized flowers develop up to 12 mm long, ovoid, almost round fruits of red color - hawthorn. These have a floury, sour-astringent taste and are rich in vitamin C and carotene. They also contain a lot of sugar, citric acid, pectin, tannins and other ingredients. It grows among other shrubs, at the edges of forests, fields, on mountains and plains, it is often planted for hedges. It prefers nutrient-rich soils where temperature fluctuations are not too great. It also tolerates poorer soils. It is not suitable for the driest habitats, where it is replaced by common hawthorn.