 Fruit |
 Seed |
 Seedling |
Propagation Method
Seed collection: Cockspur hawthorn fruit is a small pome-like drupe that contains two to four white nutlets (seeds). Although it resembles a pome (fruit type in apples), the hawthorn fruit is classified a drupe because each seed is enclosed by a hard fruit covering (endocarp) rather than only a seed coat. Fruits can be collected in fall after they turn red. Fruits ripen about September but persist into the winter. Split the fruit open and remove the small white seeds. They can be stored dry for several years in air tight containers in the refrigerator.
Seed dormancy: Cockspur hawthorn seeds show combinational dormancy. They have physical and morphophysiological dormancy. Seeds must first be scarified to permit imbibition. Then they should be warm (~75F) stratified for 100 days to allow the small embryo to grow inside the seed. This is followed by moist chilling stratification for 100 days to satisfy physiological dormancy.
Seed germination: Following stratification, sow seeds in a nursery container to produce a seedling or sow them in a plastic container in the classroom to observe germination.