The "Hall Tree" Tradition: Trifoliate Orange or Hawthorn?

The prickly bush used for gumdrop-decorated "hall trees" is likely trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), whose thorns are wired into Styrofoam forms. However, some families use native hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) for the same tradition. Both are thorny, deciduous, and hold gumdrops well.