7. Carrière Hawthorn

Tree Tour

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Next to the yellowwood west of Anderson Hall stands a big, dark hawthorn. Its twisted, muscular trunk spreads low into branches, clothed with holly-green, shiny leaves. Compared to more common hawthorns with jagged leaves; the Carrière is strange. It owes its oddness to being a hybrid, resulting from the crossing of an evergreen Mexican species with an eastern U.S. one. During May it makes small white blossoms; in late fall and indeed early winter it finally colors its large marble-size berries orange-red, and the leaves turn an attractive burnt orange before dropping in December. Few thorns protect this old specimen, but young Carrière hawthorns seen at nurseries show vicious nail-like spines--with age comes relaxation of defense.

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