Native Plants

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Thursday - April 30, 2009
From: Florissant, MO
Region: Midwest
Topic: Compost and Mulch, Shrubs
Title: Shelf life of hawthorn leaves in Florissant, MO
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have a bag of hawthorn leaves that were harvested in 2007. Do you know if they're still effective? How long is the shelf life of hawthorn leaves? Thank you for your assistance.ANSWER:
Shelf life for hawthorn leaves? We don't understand your question. The only thing we have ever used leaves for is compost. There is one member of the genus Crataegus, Crataegus phaenopyrum (Washington hawthorn), native to Missouri. If compost is what you are planning to do with your bag of leaves, certainly you can dump them in. If there was some other reason for your question, please let us know.
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