Double White Hawthorn Trees

• Variety: Double White Hawthorn, a small tree smothered in double white blossom
• Latin name: Crataegus × media 'Plena', often sold as Crataegus laevigata 'Plena'
• Sold as: Bareroot standard, 6/8 and 8/10cm girth
• Mature size: 6 to 8m tall
• Rootstock: Common Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna
• Flowers: Double, white, in masses, flushing faintly pink as they age
• Fruit and foliage: A light crop of red haws. Lobed leaves that turn yellow and red in autumn
• Thorns: Yes, which nesting birds like
• Best soil and site: Most soils. Sun or partial shade. Exposed or sheltered
• Hardiness: H7, hardy in the severest British winter
• RHS Award of Garden Merit: Yes (2021)
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Double White Hawthorn is a small, rounded, thorny tree that covers itself in double white blossom, which flushes faintly pink before it falls. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, grows in most soils in sun or partial shade, and is rated H7, the hardiest class.

Double White Hawthorn Trees

The plain English White Hawthorn tree, Crataegus laevigata Plena, is a small tree, raised from Britain's two native Hawthorns, and thorny with white flowers which can completely cover the tree in spring. They're double and develop a faint pink flush just before they fall. Hawthorn is an excellent tree for nesting birds. Suitable for most small gardens and any soil or site. White Hawthorn trees can reach a height of 6 to 8 metres.

Browse our range of hawthorn trees or all of our trees.

History & Trivia

This variety was bred in the 1770's.

How Standard Trees are Measured:
All our standards are graded by their girth in centimetres about 1 metre above soil level. They aren't graded by their height. So, a 6/8 standard has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8 centimetres and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10 centimetres. Generally standard trees are 2.5 to 4.5 metres tall when they arrive, and they're the most mature trees that you can buy from us.

Planting Companions

Paul's Scarlet and Double Pink are the other two double Hawthorns, for a row in three colours. Double flowers leave bees little to work with, so add Crimson Cloud, the single red one, for wildlife. For a native hedge to go with your tree, plant Common Hawthorn by the metre. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Double White Hawthorn comes as a bareroot tree, lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months. Plant it between November and April, and it will establish readily.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does Double White Hawthorn grow?

6 to 8 metres tall. It is a small tree, and slow to reach its full size.

Is it a native tree?

Not quite. It is a garden form of the cross between Britain's two native Hawthorns, now filed as Crataegus × media. Its thorny shelter suits nesting birds all the same.

Is it good for bees?

Less than a single Hawthorn. Double flowers offer little nectar or pollen, and they set few haws. For bees and berries, plant Crimson Cloud or Common Hawthorn nearby.

How thorny is it?

It is a thorny tree, like every Hawthorn. That is part of its value: small birds nest in the shelter of the thorns.

What soil does it need?

It grows well in most soils, in sun or partial shade, and in exposed or sheltered sites. It is generally pest-free.

Can you grow it in a pot?

No. We sell it only as a bareroot standard, which should go straight into the ground between November and April.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the trees are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your tree is lifted and sent once the season opens.