Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
suitable for use in edible landscapes, although some varieties are thorny.
Mayhaws are grown as freestanding trees.
Mayhaw fruits generally resemble crab apples with prominent blossom
(calyx) ends and sometimes vertical ridges down the sides. The fruits range
from about
⁄
4
to 1 inch in diameter and usually have red or yellowish-red
1
skins.
Mayhaws have long been popular fruits collected from the wild in the
southern United States and mayhaw jelly is Louisiana's official jelly. Since
the 1980s, interest in domesticating mayhaws has grown, and the fruits are
now produced commercially in orchards. While the small, tart fruits are not
desirable for fresh use, popular products include flavorings, butters, jams, jel-
lies, marmalades, sauces, condiments, pie filling, coffee cakes, ice cream, syr-
ups, wine, and desserts. The Louisiana Mayhaw Association provides many
on mayhaw production.
According to the Association:
“Historically, mayhaws have been harvested in backwoods sloughs,
swamps, and river bottoms. Boats are sometimes utilized in the harvest of
wild mayhaws. Limbs are shaken over the boat and nets are used to scoop
them out of the water. Accessibility has dwindled over the years as deve-
lopers have cleared the woodlands. Commercial and home orchards are now
being created with grafted mayhaws.”
Climate and habitat concerns.
Mayhaw trees have very short chilling re-
quirements and typically bloom sometime between late January and early
March. The fruits usually ripen in late April-May, which explains the name
mayhaw. Later-blooming and later-ripening varieties are being selected for
colder areas. The early bloom and fruit set make this crop susceptible to
frost damage. While grafted trees bear fruits within 1 or 2 years of planting,
commercial harvests typically start 4 to 5 years after planting.
Unlike many other tree fruits, mayhaws are well adapted to low-lying and
rather wet soils. In their native range, the trees are found growing in the
