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Invasiveness Assessment - Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) in Victoria (Nox)

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Plant invasiveness is determined by evaluating a plant’s biological and ecological characteristics against criteria that encompass establishment requirements, growth rate and competitive ability, methods of reproduction, and dispersal mechanisms.

Each characteristic, or criterion, is assessed against a list of intensity ratings. Depending upon information found, a rating of Low, Medium Low, Medium High or High is assigned to that criterion. Where no data is available to answer a criterion, a rating of medium (M) is applied. A description of the invasiveness criteria and intensity ratings used in this process can be viewed here.

The following table provides information on the invasiveness of Hawthorn.

A more detailed description of the methodology of the Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method can be viewed below:

Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (PDF - 630 KB)
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (DOC - 1 MB)
To view the information PDF requires the use of a PDF reader. This can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

Common Name: Hawthorn
Scientific name: Crataegus monogyna

Question
Comments
Reference
Rating
Establishment
Germination requirements?Seeds germinate in autumn.
P & C (1992)
MH
Establishment requirements?Occurs along forest margins and woodland areas (e.g. damp sclerophyll forest), so can establish under moderate canopy.
P & C (1992)
Carr et al (1992)
MH
How much disturbance is required?Established in minor disturbed natural ecosystems (e.g. woodlands and wetlands).
Carr et al (1992)
MH
Growth/Competitive
Life form?An erect shrub.

Other.
P & C (1992)
L
Allelopathic properties?None described.
L
Tolerates herb pressure?Consumed but not preferred due to spines.
P & C (1992)
MH
Normal growth rate?“Slow early growth”.

“Competitive ability low at first then aggressive”.
Robinson (1996)
Ester et al (1993)
MH
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?Tolerance to drought, cold (frost), salinity.
P & C (1992)
MH
Reproduction
Reproductive systemReproducing by seed and suckers.
P & C (1992)
H
Number of propagules produced?Produce large amounts of seed. Well over 2,000 berries (1 seed per berry) would be produced on a mature tree. (See pic. P & C 1992).
P & C (1992)
H
Propagule longevity??
M
Reproductive period?Plants are long lived, possibly > 70 years.
P & C (1992)
Ester et al (1993)
H
Time to reproductive maturity?Plants do not flower until the 2nd or 3rd year.
P & C (1992)
ML
Dispersal
Number of mechanisms?Contaminated machinery, vehicles, animals (including birds) agricultural produce, mud and other animals (foxes, possums and wallaroos).
P & C (1992)
H
How far do they disperse?“Seeds are not equipped in any special way to aid dispersal”. However, seeds consumed by mammals especially and also birds is likely to be dispersed > 200 m. Also, Cooke (1991) states that seeds are spread “far into the bush” by birds and possums that eat the fruit.
P & C (1992)
Cooke (1991)
MH


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