Crataegusspp.
I clearly remember my first near encounter with a hawthorn .
I was expect for the arrant pair of tree to give ear my knoll between , in the backyard of my new business firm , and I spotted the correct positioning between some modest but sturdy anthesis tree .
I started hang up the hammock , dreaming of reading a volume below the gentle hum of the bees feed on the pretty white and pinkish blossoms , when I felt a searing pain in my arm .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
It was n’t a bee defending itself , but a vicious pricker tearing through my flesh .
And to me , that utterly encapsulate the wonders and drawback of originate hawthorns . They ’re beautiful , but they also have sticker that can grow several column inch long .
It ’s emphatically a “ look but do n’t touch ” form of office .
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My irritating first encounter aside , hawthorns are really excellent to keep around .
They ’re pollinator magnets , particularly for aboriginal bees , moth , and butterflies , and many hoi polloi grow them in plantation to help ameliorate pollenation .
you’re able to find spineless versions , by the agency , and you’re able to even use the thorned types to your advantage .
Then there are the blossoms . The heyday are pungently sweet - odoriferous and exceedingly attractive – both to humans and animals . They take care somewhat like Malus pumila blossoms , so if you ’re a fan of those , you ’ll bang hawthorns .
The trees are also beloved nesting sites for razz . The thorns provide them with protection and the vibrant autumn berries are a nutritious food source .
If you ’ve ever see cedar waxwing migrate through the arena , they always halt and feed on a hawthorn Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree before moving on .
The fruits of these orchard apple tree and rosaceous relatives are edible , and they resemble roseate hip . You ’ll just have to fight the bird for them .
Plus , the trees are long - live , unfearing , and pest and disease immune .
If you were just dip your toe into the body of water of hawthorn develop , hopefully I ’ve convinced you to dive straight in .
Here are all the affair we ’ll go over in this guide to get to know these wonderful Tree well :
What You’ll Learn
Ready to make the pollinators and birds in your region exceedingly happy ? allow ’s start growing haw !
What Are Hawthorns?
Crataegusis derived from “ kratos , ” meaning posture in Greek , a reference to the hard woodwind instrument , and “ akis , ” meaning sharp hint , an precise description if there ever was one .
There are nearly 300 coinage in the genus , with the bulk being native to North America , but they also grow in Europe and Asia .
East of the Rockies , you ’ll most oft discover :
In western North America , you ’ll see :
Now that you ’ve learned all this taxonomy , go ahead and chuck it out the window .
There are so many mintage and they hybridize so readily that , at least in the wild , you may never be indisputable exactly what you ’re look at as you hike by in the woods .
This sort of situation is known as being taxonomically unstable .
Not all case have pricker , such as the spineless orchard grass ( C. crus-gallivar.inermis ) andC.xmordenensis‘Toba . ’ Some have branched thorns on the body , as did the trees I tried to hang my mound from , rather than just having single thorns on the limb .
verbalize of thorns , whereas roses technically have thorn , not thorn , hawthorns have honest prickle . A thorn is define as a modify base with a piercing point .
The flowers are typically clustered in raceme of five , and each blossom has five petals . The flowers range from white to knock or red in colouration , with yellowed , bone , or pink anther at the center .
The yield , which is technically a pome or drupe , can be pinkish , orangish , ruddy , royal , or nearly bootleg when good .
It ’s about the size of it of a blueberry , and the flesh has a mealy texture and a bitter flavor . You ’ll sometimes see these bring up to as berries .
leave are alternate and simple . They can have smooth or deeply divide margins , and everything in between .
The shape can vary quite a bit from ovate to triangular . In the fall , the foliage turn orange , red , and purple .
Most but not all sort expand along streams , in marshy area , and in disturbed areas like roadsides , as well as hayfield and woodlands . They ’re incredibly adaptable .
Cultivation and History
Hawthorns have been in cultivation across the world for 100 .
immortalize use of haw as a medicinal element dates back as early as the 1400s in Europe , and indigenous the great unwashed in North America have been using foraged haw since well before Europeans came calling .
By the 1700s , it had become a well - distinguish heart medication in Europe . And it was put to the same use in the US by the late 1800s .
Indigenous to China , C. pinnatifida(the Chinese hawthorn),C. hupehensis , andC. scabrifoliaare uncommon alfresco of Asia and cultivate for their fruit in their aboriginal home .
While hawthorn is a popular garden plant life in North America , it ’s one of the most economically important plants in China , valued not only for its ornamental attributes but as medicine and food as well .
The azarole haw ( C. azarolus ) is the most common in its native Mediterranean and Middle Eastern nursing home , both commercially and in the state of nature .
Common or one - sow ( C. monogyna ) , woodland ( C. laevigata ) , and two - seed hawthorns ( C. oxyacantha ) are native to Europe . These became invasive in some areas after European immigrant bring them to North America .
All of these mintage have been extensively cultivated and are frequently found in glasshouse and home gardens in the US and Europe .
C. nigraandC. pentagynaare also common in Europe and are crop for medicative use , as are the other European species mentioned above .
As far as North American native species go , there are a slew to opt from . Some are uncommon in cultivation and others are make in popularity enough to compete with the European cultivar .
Indigenous people in North America knew a good affair when they saw it .
They had multiple enjoyment for plants in theCrataegusgenus , using haw to treat “ universal debility , ” bladder worry , pain , disturbed breadbasket , diarrhea , and sassing sores , as a laxative , and to stop catamenial flow rate , ameliorate circulation , and improve appetite .
Topically , hawthorn was used to handle boils , ulcers , wounds , and arthritis . The thorns were used as needle and cutis probes , as well as tine on herring blood for non - medicinal use .
Today , these plant are primarily used by herbalist as a heart tonic , as all parts are mild vasodilator . Some citizenry also use hawthorn as a retention aid , like toGinkgo biloba .
The pome incorporate the anti - inflammatory and antithrombotic flavonol glycoside hyperoside , quercetin flavonoids , and the blood pressure - regulate amino acid tyramine .
The fruit also contains oligomeric and polymeric procyanidin compounds .
Hawthorn Tree Propagation
I screw I did my expert to get you all hype up about hawthorn , but you are n’t in too much of a Benjamin Rush to bask them , ripe ?
If you are , go ahead and skip directly to the section below on institute seedlings or transplants .
All the other extension methods are dumb going . haw just are n’t in a hurriedness , and you ca n’t be either .
Here we go , but not too quickly .
From Seed
With all those Berry that shape on the tree , it seems a waste not to examine to embed a few and start more tree diagram , good ?
If you ’re in a hurry , try a unlike method , since it can take at least five years before the seedlings reach more than a few feet tall and start to flower .
Seeds should be planted justly away because they speedily recede viability once they ’re off the tree .
waitress until the fruits are full right in the fall . They should be starting to wrinkle slenderly . draw out them softly off the tree to head off damaging the branches . lay them in a pail and mash them up with a joint or other blunt object .
Do n’t mash too heavily or you ’ll break the seeds . You want to create a pulpy mass , not a crunchy hatful .
Pour water into the bucketful and blend everything well with your hands , rubbing the pulp between them . you could wear baseball mitt if you ’re working with a peculiarly vivacious or juicy yield , but most wo n’t stain your skin .
Let it seat for a few second , and then stream out most of the water and the floating junk . fret the remaining seeds between your hands while holding them in the remaining water .
Fill the bucketful with more water system , swish it around , and ditch the debris out again . You might demand to do this several time to get rid of all the debris .
Once the seeds are white , they ’re ready to be set in a tray filled with moist horticultural sand mixed with sphagnum moss in adequate parts . The tray should have multiple drainage muddle , so the seeds do n’t drown . check that they ’re covered with an inch of grime .
set a screen over the tray to protect it from shuttle and squirrels , and place it outside in a protect spot . Now , your job is to keep the medium moist but not wet for the next 18 month .
In late winter or other spring of the 2nd year , check the germ . They should be starting to burgeon forth . If approximately one in 10 is germinating , it ’s time to engraft .
Plant the seeds in prepared grease in the area where you intend to grow your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Poke each come into the soil an inch deep and at least five feet aside .
mildly tamp down down the soil and water well . Keep the soil moist and by summertime , you should see a seedling pop up . Congrats ! Keep the soil moist to support your raw garden protagonist .
From Cuttings
It ’s technically possible to raise haw from cutting , but this is not the skilful method because it ’s unreliable .
Few cuttings will take , so you ’ll require to take up about six cuttings for each tree you require to uprise .
Take your cut in the spring just after the leaf bud have egress . Look for a pliable end of a branch about six inches long .
cut down at a 45 - degree angle , remove all but two of the leaf bud , and set the cutting in water until you ’re quick to plant . Repeat as needed .
When your cuttings are ready , prep the planting orbit by amending the soil with well - rotted compost to secure that it ’s free and rich .
Dip the end of each cutting into a rooting hormone and pound a two - inch hole into the soil . tuck the cutting and firm the soil around it .
recollect , you want special cutting , so embed about six in each spot where you require a tree to farm , spaced about four inches aside . Water so the ground is damp but not wet , and keep it that way .
By the undermentioned springtime , you should see new growth . Hopefully , at least one of the cuttings will have taken and you ’ll see it bud out .
If so , give yourself a big pat on the back for your forbearance and pertinacity . If you have more than one cut take , dig up the extras and move or put away of them .
From Suckers
Some , but not all , haw send out suckers . If you see small sucker volunteers popping up , you’re able to move them to a different location to bulge out a new tree .
This method is quicker and more reliable than taking cuttings , so if you want to collar a musical composition of a admirer ’s beautiful Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , this is the method acting I ’d suggest .
Any tree develop on grafted rootstock should n’t be spread this way unless you do n’t manage what the new tree looks like .
Typically , haw are n’t grafted this way . Usually , hawthorn rootstock is used as the radix for other trees likeapple , pear , chokeberry , juneberry , quince , and medlars .
But some agriculturist will graft hawthorns onto hawthorn rhizome , so look for a clump around the nucleotide of the tree diagram – the graft point – to find out if yours is one of the rare ones .
Wait until you may see fresh combat-ready growth in the saltation , and practice a horticulture forking to undo up the soil around the suckers . mildly tilt up the roots and search for the part where the radical of a mark attaches to the parent plant . discerp this using clipper or a tongue .
skip back about one-half of the top maturation using clippers , either by dispatch a few stem or some of the length .
Dig a hollow large enough to hold the roots and plant the all-day sucker in the ground at the same depth it was previously . Water well and keep the filth moist as the tree becomes established .
Air Layering
I like air layer because the new Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree has some funding while it ’s develop , whereas cuttings are all on their own .
In the late wintertime , before the tree buds out , you ’re going to remove a two - column inch - wide of the mark strip of barque and cambium go all the style around a bow down to the lighter tan bed underneath .
You ’ll need a keen knife to do this . To make the cut unobjectionable , cut all the way around the circuit and then make a second cut two inches below that . Then , apply the edge of the knife to scrape away the barque .
Grab some moisten sphagnum moss and wrap a two - column inch - thick stratum of moss all the fashion around the exposed bit . You might want to raise a partner for this part because it ’s a little hard to manage when you ’re alone .
Hold the moss in place and wrap it with clean shaping wrap . Secure it in place with some string , braid tie , wire , or mag tape . Wrap opaque plastic over this , and secure it in place as well .
absent the outer wrapping occasionally to discipline for root increment and to see if the moss is drying out . If it is , start the top of the clean charge card and pour in some weewee .
If you see root by the fall , it ’s clip to separate the rooted branch and transplant it . Just bring down it right below the rooting area .
If there are n’t any roots , leave the wrapper in situation during the winter with an supererogatory layer of cardboard or wool packed around it as insulation . If roots have formed by springtime , get rid of and plant it . If not , it ’s potential that the layering failed .
From Seedlings/Transplanting
Welcome , to all those with less longanimity or who opted to buy a plant rather than propagating it using one of the methods described above !
transfer a hawthorn is reasonably straightforward . To begin , dig a hole twice the size of the container that the plant is growing in .
Unless you have extremely clayey or sandy dirt , you wo n’t need to rectify it . But poorly draining soil absolutely need some well - rotted compost worked in .
take away the plant from its container and loosen up those ascendent . Gently place the plant in the hole at the same depth it was at originally and fill in around the roots with soil .
Firm it up and impart piss . Some of the dirt will credibly settle down , and if that ’s the case , just total a act more .
tally an inch - thick bed of organic mulch like hardwood grazing or leaf litter to protect the fry from weedy contention .
If you ’re project to produce a living fencing , space the trees about 10 feet apart .
How to Grow Hawthorn Trees
As manifest by their ability to grow in a broad range of environments , hawthorn are adaptable .
Any kind of soil from moderately chalky or sandy to jolly clayey is fine . They can even bear badly draining filth , though well - draining soil is idealistic .
They can stand profound winds , so if you have a spot that is constantly knock about , haw are about to be your new full friends . They can even handle salty wind in nautical environments and befoulment in cityscape .
Of naturally , if you ’re develop yours to practice the yield , bark , and flower as food or medicine , avoid to a great extent polluted position like those along roadway .
Full sunshine is salutary , particularly for fruit production , but fond sun is all right . Partial shade will be put up , but you ’re going to lose some flowering and fruit production .
Beyond Sunday and soil considerateness , you might require to avoid constitute anywhere that kids or PET play . You do n’t require them getting snagged on the thorns .
Once a year in the spring , implement an all - purpose , balanced fertiliser unless asoil testsuggests you need to add more of a sure element or leave something out .
Southern Ag ’s All Purpose Granular Fertilizer will do the job .
Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer
Grab some at Amazonin a five - pound bag
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
Pruning is n’t ask except to transfer any branches that are dead , morbid , or change shape .
Deformed growth includes branch that are rubbing together or that just maturate in a smelly direction that detracts from the look of the tree .
When you cut , put on a metallic element suit of armor , including a face cuticle and gauntlets .
If you do n’t keep your mediaeval armory well stocked , you should wear thick rubber or leatherglovesand several layers of thick clothing over your blazon and torso .
I ’d even commend safety goggles . I have a cicatrix near my center from a time when I was harvesting pome and a spine caught me . Those irritant are no joke .
When they stab into your pelt , they can break off and imbed themselves , and they can be intemperate to get rid of . A pricker that stays in your skin can become septic or even septic . better to avoid them all told rather than make to deal with them .
apply a incisive twosome of pruners or a small sawing machine and turn off back to the next branch or trunk .
When the trees are young , you’re able to move out all but one trunk or key leader and remove the lower branch to advance a more tree - like rather than shrub - like configuration .
For the first few years , refill the mulch layer every few month to suppress those skunk . After that , you could leave the tree to its own devices .
Hawthorn Species and Cultivars to Select
As you could imagine with a genus that contains so many species and hybrids and that has been cultivated for so long , there are many , many cultivar out there , and new ones popping up all the time .
It never hurts to shoot the breeze with the employee at your local nursery to see what they commend for your orbit , but these adaptable plants can reconcile in just about anywhere .
Here are some notable options :
Crusader
A democratic cockspur ( C. crus - galli ) cultivar , ‘ Crusader ’ is extremely floriferous with plenty of white blossoms and lasting red berries , all on a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that tops out at just 15 feet .
It has a pleasantly rounded shape and a dumb ontogenesis habit .
‘ Crusader ’
Pick up one of these thornless treesat Fast Growing Trees .
Jubilee
‘ Jubilee ’ is a overweight ( C. succulenta ) cultivar bred in the Netherlands that manakin plunk , somewhat juicy ( rather than gritty ) fruits .
It has a dense , rounded cap on a unmarried or multi - cauline industrial plant that can hit 25 substructure . It ’s resistant to fire blight and rust .
Vaughn
‘ Vaughn ’ is a intercrossed cross betweenC. phaenopyrumandC. crus - gallithat fetch large fruits and flowers with exceptionally glossy leave to the mesa .
It ’s for the most part thornless and has an extremely erect increment use .
Washington
The Washington species , C. phaenopyrum , has become popular as an ornamental because it ’s a late blunder , dodging all those recent icing , and has particularly vibrant foliage in both the spring and declension .
As the leaves egress , they ’re reddish - purpleness before transitioning to a inscrutable greens for the summer .
With the changing season , the leaves transfer again , this time to a vibrant regalia of orange , ruby , magenta , and purple .
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Winter King
Beautiful ‘ Winter King ’ is aC. viridiscultivar with blanched bloom and extremely large yield .
But what stimulate it truly fabulous is that it resists fungous diseases and is most spineless .
Managing Pests and Disease
Before we leap into this section , I ’m hand you a head up : You ’ll probably never come across any of these issues . haw are tough .
Do n’t feel like you fail or did something wrong if any pestilence or diseases come shoot the breeze , though . So long as you plant in the right weather , sometimes it ’s just the ( bad ) luck of the draw .
Non - native types tend to be more prone to issues , and you might encounterpowdery mildeworapple scab . These are less common on types grown in their aboriginal environs .
Insects
There are just two common insects to watch for , and neither requires any sort of chemic controller .
When they ’re present , it could be a mansion that you need to act on creating a goodly garden environment , with mint of plants thatattract beneficial predators .
Hawthornleaf miners(Profenusa canadensis ) are probably the most common pestilence you ’ll see .
These tiny larvae of sawflies chomp tunnels through the leaf of plants during the late natural spring .
The result is unsightly leaves with trails throughout and dead , dark-brown tips . These leave incline to be more susceptible to further damage from drouth and frost .
As new growth emerges after the larvae pupate and take off , the tree diagram will convalesce and continue on its merry way for the rest of the twelvemonth . As a result , you really do n’t need to regale infestations .
Avoid plantingC. crus - galli , C. persimillis , andC. erectaif you get hold infested leafage to be bothersome . These species are specially susceptible .
Woolly orchard apple tree aphid ( Eriosoma lanigerum ) await like a symptom of fungous infection ormealybugs , but they ’re basically just those old familiaraphidswe know and love , with a downy coat on .
To be perfectly true , they look scarier than they are . They do n’t really do much price to trees , and they ’re usually limited by myriad natural predator .
Trying to eliminate them is n’t suggest , since a lot of the method of controlling aphid can harm good worm . Your best bet is to just keep your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and the fence garden healthy .
you could learn more about wooly-minded aphids in our guidebook .
Disease
Fungal pathogens are the main grounds of hawthorn diseases . There are two rough-cut 1 that you should be cognisant of :
If you ’ve ever heard of or make do with cedar tree Malus pumila rusting , this is the same thing , just with a hawthorn Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree instead of an orchard apple tree .
It ’s caused byGymnosporangium globosum , which result in yellow maculation on the leaves , and the pomes may have orange fungal growth on them .
Dealing with it is the same as with other cedar rusts – memorize more in our guide .
Many plant inthe Rosaceae familyare prone to fire blight , and while hawthorns are n’t extremely susceptible , it is n’t unheard of .
It causes shoots , leaves , and fruit to plow mordant and necrotic .
woefully , if you ’re one of the unlucky few , you ’ll require to pull up your plant and get rid of it by burning or via disposition . Otherwise , you adventure further spread to other plants .
Best Uses for Hawthorn Trees
Whether you select to run through the fruit or just grow your hawthorn as an ornamental , these plants have many uses .
The “ haw ” in hawthorn is Anglo - Saxon for “ hedge , ” and that ’s what people in England used this plant for . Imagine attempt to push your way through a compact hedge of haw . You ’d have to be really driven to judge it .
In fact , that ’s part of why the works spread out of their native ranges .
European James Leonard Farmer brought their aboriginal hawthorns with them to plant as livestock fencing in America , New Zealand , and Australia . They promptly escaped cultivation and have made themselves at plate wherever they were taken .
Having say that , if you desire to create instinctive fence for livestock or just tokeep out nosy neighbors with a defensive barrier , choose forgetful , shrubby options and implant them close together .
If you need toattract native pollinator , opt native species . These are smart options to found in your garden .
If you choose to deplete the fruit , do n’t consume the seeds . Cook the berries and remove the seeded player or peel the flesh away from the seed .
A few certainly wo n’t hurt you , and many a forager has chomp through them while out wandering , myself include .
Butthe seeded player contain a compound of cyanidebonded with sucrose call amygdalin , which is released when the seeds are crushed . When you eat something containing this chemical compound , it turns to hydrogen cyanide in your small intestine .
If you ’ve ever consider up on your toxicant , then you know that enough of this chemical can kill you .
Apples contain the same chemical compound in their seeds , as dorose hips , peach , and other fruit in the Rosaceae family . For the median 150 - pound human , that would mean eating over 70 hawthorn semen at a go .
Some metal money , likeC. monogyna , have only one seed , which you may easily remove . This type of berry can be eaten sensitive . But it ’s too difficult to slay them from fruit with multiple seeds , so they need to be cooked to facilitate come remotion .
It ’s super difficult to eat on the seeded player anyway , because they ’re voiceless as a rock’n’roll . I ’d envisage you ’d break a few tooth before you could eat enough to do yourself material harm , but let ’s not go test the possibility , okay ?
The berries are eminent in pectin , so they by nature contribute themselves to jelly - making .
All species are edible ( minus the seeds ) , but not all are delicious ( althoughthe wildlife will appreciate them ) . It ’s best to taste yours and decide whether the relish is to your liking before you plunge into a complicated recipe .
Foragers will munch on the Berry as they research the woods , and with one sharpness , you ’ll quickly earn how much pectin there is . The juice quickly take on a jelly - like body the minute you squeeze it out of the stone fruit .
C. azarolus , C. mexicana , C. pinnatifida , andC. scabrifoliaare all domesticate as fruit trees . But Cerros ( C. erythropoda ) , on the other paw , has hardly enough flesh to bother with .
dry out Chuck Berry can last for years , and the dry out flowers and leaves , which make a endearing tea leaf , can last for up to a year . stash away them in a cool , dry , dark-skinned blot .
All of these can be dried by spreading them out on screens in a juiceless expanse out of direct sunlight .
Agitate the berries now and then to move them around and expose them to the air . you may also dry them in your oven on the lowest stage setting , or in a dehydrator .
Freeze the berries by removing any damaged one , rinsing them in water , drying them completely , and placing them in a plastered container in the refrigerator . They can last this manner for up to six calendar month .
The pomes become a snatch more grainy and spongy , as well as a bit sweeter , after a freeze .
It can be a kickshaw when you head outside in the winter and slip up across some that the birds missed . Just do n’t endeavor to dry out or freeze any that have already been frozen . They do n’t keep well .
In westerly medication , C. laevigataandC. monogynaare most commonly used . In Chinese medicine , it’sC. pinnatifidathat accept all the glory .
If you need to make a medicinal decoction , the standard method acting is to boil the inner bark , thorns , leaves , Charles Edward Berry ( minus the source ) , or blossom in piddle until it reduces by one - one-fourth .
Four to eight ounce of the standard decoction can be taken three times per 24-hour interval , accord to “ The Modern Herbal Dispensatory : A medication - Making Guide ” by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne .
The Modern Herbal Dispensatory : A music - Making scout
Copies of this book areavailable on Amazon .
The leaf and flowers should be simmer for five minutes in water just below the simmering point .
If you have any desire to scrounge and consume wild foods , “ pasture : Wild plant to Gather , Cook , and Eat ” by Liz Knight is an indispensable Scripture .
Forage : Wild works to Gather , Cook , and Eat
Knight include fantastical recipe for hawthorn flower syrup , berry marinade , and a gremolata made with the leaf .
blame up a copyat Amazon .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Embrace Life’s Thorns
haw are rugged , adaptable , and lively , but it ’s not just about being survivor when it comes to these works .
They ’re beautiful , too , with a mantle of flower in the spring , colored leaf in the downfall , and bright red fruits that can last through the winter .
They ’re edible and can be used medicinally . All the pluses make it worth comprehend or even putting the thorns to play for you .
Of course , there are thornless options , too . These tree diagram really can do it all .
No doubt you ’re going to constitute other things in your garden , right ? If you wantmore ornamental Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree options , you might find these usher useful :
Photos by Kristine Lofgren © take the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . mathematical product photos via Fast Growing Trees , Laurence King Publishing , Nature Hills Nursery , North Atlantic Books , and Southern Ag . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
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