Tejocote (Crataegus baroussana)

Family: Rosaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Crataegus baroussana is a deciduous Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft) by 2 m (6ft). It is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Midges. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Berries

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Sweet and quite a good size for a Crataegus. — Fruit - raw or cooked.; Sweet and quite a good size for a Crataegus.; It makes a very acceptable dessert fruit and can also be cooked in pies, preserves etc.; There are up to five fairly large seeds in the centre of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed.

Habitat & North American Range

Only found in one habitat, at elevations around 2100 metres in the mountains of Coahuila. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)