Crusader^® Native Hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli var. inermis

We planted three of these in 1998 and they're still doing well despite girdling by sapsuckers and several years of rust (fungus). They are blooming profusely this year and abuzz with pollinators. What they don't tell you is the blossoms have an unusual aroma. The first few years we thought there was a dead mammal that had fallen into our water feature, but eventually discovered it was the scent of the blossoms. Now that I know what it is, it doesn't seem so bad, just most unusual. Also they are the second phase of several parasitic rusts (cedar-hawthorne rust, for example). I had to eliminate most of my junipers near them as that seemed to be the host causing them to turn rusty colored and grow ugly nubbins on the branches. They have recovered with seasonal sprays and eliminating the junipers. I would probably recommend other ornamental trees before these for reasons mentioned.