Hawthorn, also known as Crataegus pinnatifida and Crataegus pinnatifida, is a deciduous shrub or small tree of Crataegus in Rosaceae. The plant has many branches, dark brown bark, no thorns or few thorns, triangular or rhombic leaves, dark green and shiny leaves, and sparse and irregular serrations at the edges. Umbrella inflorescence, extracted from branch tip or upper leaf axil, with small white flowers, which open from May to June. The fruit is nearly spherical or oblate, and it is dark red or orange-red and yellow after ripening from September to 10, with more light spots. There are many varieties of hawthorn, and their plant size, leaf shape, size and fruit size are different. The diameter of the fruit is only 0.8 cm, and the size of the fruit is 3 cm to 4 cm. Hawthorn used to make bonsai should choose those varieties which are small in plants, but vigorous and simple in appearance, small in leaves, easy to bear fruit, bright in fruit color and suitable for potted plants, such as Wild Hawthorn, Northern Hawthorn, Southern Hawthorn, Hubei Hawthorn, Shandong Golden Star, Brilliant Fruit Red, Fulihong and so on.

Crataegus pinnatifida should be transplanted in pots from autumn to spring before germination. Because of its few fibrous roots, it should be dipped in mud to keep fresh and moist. Before planting, re-cut according to the tree shape, and cut off the main roots. For stumps with long excavation time and serious water loss, they should be soaked in clear water for a period of time to replenish water. First plant it in sandy soil to "raise the blank", plant it deep, do not expose the roots, water it after planting, spray water on the plants frequently, or cover it with plastic bags to moisturize. In the first year after the survival of the stump, except for the necessary pruning and pulling, it is generally not too much modeling to promote the formation of new roots. In the spring of the following year, it was moved into the basin and gradually shaped to cultivate a beautiful crown.

The shape of hawthorn bonsai can be processed into different types of bonsai according to the shape of stumps and the potential of materials, such as big tree type, upright type, cliff type, water-facing type, inclined dry type, etc. Because of its large leaves, the crown is mostly made into a natural type, and the natural collocation of crown and branches, leaves and fruits should be considered, and the levels between branches should not be too dense to show the natural landscape full of fruits. The modeling method should be combined with pruning, rolling and pulling, in which rolling and pulling should be carried out in the growing season. Because the branches of hawthorn are hard and brittle, the bending range should not be too large when rolling, and pruning should be carried out in the dormant season. Hawthorn has strong germination ability and can be re-cut under the condition of maintaining a beautiful tree shape. In the process of modeling, the roots can be gradually raised, so that the roots can be exposed to improve the appreciation.

Hawthorn has a strong habit, likes sunny and warm and humid environment, is slightly resistant to shade, cold, drought and barren, and has no strict requirements on soil, but it grows better in fertile and loose sandy soil with good drainage and air permeability. During the growth period, it should be maintained in an outdoor ventilated and light-transmitting place, and the watering should be "dry and not watered, but watered thoroughly". Before flowering, liquid fertilizer mixed with phosphorus and nitrogen should be applied once every March to April, and liquid fertilizer with high phosphorus and potassium content should be applied once every 1 5 days during the fruit-growing period. Because of its well-developed root system and strong germination, attention should be paid to thinning the branches and leaves that are too dense. For the new shoots that grow vigorously, when they grow to about 20 cm, 4 to 6 leaves can be left for pinching to promote the growth of short branches with fruit. Pruning and shaping shall be carried out during dormancy, and thin branches, over-dense branches and long branches disturbing the tree shape shall be cut off, while thick medium and short branches shall be kept, and the excessively long branches extending outward shall be retracted to make the branches at the back thick, and attention shall be paid to retracting the crown, cutting off the branches at the upper part of the crown, keeping the branches at the lower part, and cultivating them into short new crowns. In winter, it should be maintained in a sheltered and sunny place, pay attention to soil moisture and replenish water in time. Turn the pot once every other year in spring or autumn to improve the fruit-bearing rate.