Description
Description
Mexican hawthorn (or tejocote) is native to the mountains of Mexico and Guatemala. They are quite hardy and can grow in most conditions and soil types. Mexican hawthorn fruit are among the largest of all hawthorn fruits and are a common regional food in Mexico, being processed into sweets and drinks. Hawthorn fruit are used for medicinal purposes to stimulate blood flow. Supposedly the tree is deciduous – although it was in full leaf in August when I visited it.
The fruit are about 3 cm diameter, and are a beautiful golden colour – looking like miniature crab apples (to which they are related) – they ripen in late July, a time when ripe fruits are quite scarce. The fruit are very fragrant and keep well, however they have very little flavour of their own, being fairly bland and so are better for processing. They are definitely a B-grade fruit – but if you have the space and want a very low maintenance tree then they are worth planting.
These seeds come from a South island tree, so hopefully are slightly more adapted to NZ conditions.
Seeds per packet: 8
Germination Instructions
All hawthorns can be slow and erratic to germinate – often taking months. Scarification (light sanding of the seed coat) can be used to speed the process up (this mimics digestion through a bird’s gizzard). The seeds can then be directly sown into pots outside and left for 18 months to experience the seasons naturally- or you can alternate warm and cold stratification stages inside.
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