Paul's Scarlet is one of the finest English hawthorns. It features dark pink blossom, often with white centres, which is very attractive to bees. Unusually for a hawthorn they are "double" flowers - the extra petals giving a more pronounced display than the single-flowered forms.
The green leaves also turn a plain yellow in autumn, and are dotted with crimson red berries.
Paul's Scarlet grows in a neat tidy fashion, making it a good garden tree.
As with most forms of the species Crataegus laevigata, the branches are protected by short thorns. However the main stem tends to be mostly smooth, with only the occasional thorn.
Next deliveries: January - February 2025
Let me know when Paul's Scarlet melliferous trees are back in stock.
If you do not hear from us by March you can contact us to pre-order for next autumn.
Paul's Scarlet was named in the 1860s by William Paul, a Victorian plant breeder. It is a sport of the double-flowered hawthorn Rosea Flora Pleno.
Most of the fruit trees we sell need bees and other pollinating insects to set fruit, and of course fruit trees provide pollen and nectar in return. However fruit trees are only in flower for a few weeks in the spring and if you want to encourage a healthy bee population around your orchard, it is useful to plant other trees which will sustain them over the summer.
Trees which are particularly attractive to bees are called 'melliferous' and come from many different species. They typically produce abundant flowers, often scented, over a long period. The flowers are also particularly easy for bees to access, and have generous quantities of nectar and pollen.
Note that the pollen of melliferous trees will not cross-pollinate with your orchard trees - the reason for planting them is to provide a resource for bees after the orchard trees have finished flowering,.
