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Question from Tom, Cottonwood Heights, UT -

I live in Cottonwood Heights but am currently visiting friends in the southwest of France, in Toulouse. Here is a question you have probably never had before! In the north of Spain, in the Basque region, they make a walking stick from a wood Neflier (makhila is the generic name for the walking stick). Is there any equivalent of Neflier in the US?

Thanks for your help

Tom

Answer from Dr. Mike Kuhns, USU Extension Forester and Professor (sent 10/3/17) -

Tom,

Yes. Neflier is a French name for the genus Crataegus or hawthorn. The Spanish name is Espino. Utah has one native hawthorn – black hawthorn or Crataegus douglasii. I see it all over the place at fairly low elevations where there is some water. It is a muiltistemmed tree or a dense shrub, but some species of hawthorns are tree-like, and many of these are planted in Utah. To learn more about hawthorns go to our Tree Browser website.