Unique Features: The Toba is a smaller cultivar of the Russian hawthorn, as can be seen in the bark and the delicately incised, forest green foliage.  It was developed at Morden Research Center in Alberta, Canada so it has strong cold hardiness. The flowers are what set the Toba apart from the other hawthorns. They bloom in clusters, opening into fully double white blooms that age to a medium to dark pink, and have a pleasant fragrance. Depending on the source, the Toba hawthorns either have sparse thorns, or no thorns. We have not seen any thorns on the trees in the last 15 years. It also appears to have less fruit set than other hawthorns. Given enough time the Toba develops rough, shaggy grey bark and a twisting trunk.