| Author | Lange | |
| Distribution | Throughout the Mountains and Piedmont. A few isolated records for the Coastal Plain are reported on the BONAP map, but the SERNEC database of collections contains only one NC specimen from that province (of questionable ID). Though the map below is certainly incomplete for this species, the overall gist of the state range is apparent.
This has a broad range in the Eastern U.S., from the Northern states south to central GA, central AL, and AR. It is scarce on the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
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| Abundance | Fairly common to common in the Mountains, at least fairly common in the Piedmont, but very rare (if present at all) and poorly known in the Coastal Plain. Details of abundance are not clear, and it may be most numerous in the southern Mountains than farther north. As with most hawthorn species, the NC NHP does not have it in their database; this website gives an S4? state rank. | |
| Habitat | This is a species mostly of full to partial sun, in thickets, overgrown pastures, and dry wooded edges. It may grow in open, dry or rocky woods, as well as around rock outcrops. |
| Phenology | Blooms in late April and May; fruits from August to October. | |
| Identification | This is a medium to large shrub, with often multiple stems or at least a crooked stem. The leaves are somewhat widely elliptic to ovate, with many fairly sharp and deep serrations, often comprising a few lobes. The most notable feature is that the fruit often remain greenish and hard into the fall, even when they drop, but they may turn somewhat pinkish or reddish but seldom a bright red. The thorns are quite slender. For photos and other information, see Lance (2014) and Weakley (2018). Lance makes it clear that this is a numerous species in the mountains of NC and may well be one of the most frequently encountered ones in old pastures and brushy areas. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | This is one of numerous entities that was described close to 1900, but was lumped into one of several other species. RAB (1968) had it within C. flabellata. Both Lance (2014) and Weakley (2018) have it listed with several varieties; Weakley has seven varieties listed as occurring in NC! Some varieties listed by Lance found in NC are considered as good species by Weakley (2018), such as Biltmore Hawthorn (C. biltmoreana). Needless to say, the taxa within the C. intricata complex are still in flux.
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| Other Common Name(s) | Lange’s Thorn, Thicket Hawthorn, Entangled Hawthorn | |
| State Rank | [S4?] | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
