12/02/2024
Mayhaws are the fruit of the native thorny hawthorn tree. November through February is the time to plant mayhaws as well as many other fruit trees in Louisiana!
Mayhaw trees should be planted in moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5 and should be planted roughly 20-30 feet apart to allow for limb growth. Established trees will benefit from yearly fertilization of one pound of 5-10-10 per inch of trunk diameter.
Because they are native to Louisiana, mayhaw trees do well in this area and many homeowners are adding them to their landscape for their appearance and for the fruit they produce.
Many of the mayhaw cultivars available were developed right here in Louisiana. If you are interested in planting mayhaw trees consider the following cultivars:
- “Maxine” is a late blooming cultivar with a beautiful shape. It is a heavy producer of a large (.8 inch), red fruit. Maxine has more thorns than some cultivars.
- “Royal Star” is an early blooming cultivar that produces a deep red, almost purple mayhaw fruit. It has little to no thorns and the branches grow in an upright pattern making it easy to mow under the tree.
- “Spectacular” is an early blooming cultivar that produces a very large (0.8-0.85 inch) fruit. This selection needs another early blooming pollinator such as Royal Star.
- “Hope 13” produces a very large (.9 inch), dark red fruit. It has good resistance to fire blight.
