We have one and it is not unattractive, but during bloom it gives off an
odor akin to rotting flesh. I also have to keep it trimmed pretty high
so the thorns don't hurt any children, but it still gets me once in a
while when I forget to duck while mowing the lawn. I don't see a lot of
birds feeding off it, but a lot of people around here put out feeders,
so perhaps our birds are choosy. If it were not an established tree
when we moved in, I would not plant one.

Pat wrote:

Hi,
We're considering several trees to put into our back yard. Among them is
the hawthorn which seems to have several things going for it -- pretty
flowers, nice color in the fall, fruit that is attractive to birds, and
reasonable size.

We're in zone 5,by the way.

However, one site I found says that the flowers have an unpleasant odor.
Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks
Patricia
Champaign, IL