I really don't have experience with 'Winter King' except that we planted two at the school and I can't say that they have done well ... however, who knows what has been done to them? It's at an elementary school.

However, we also planted two 'Autumn Brilliance' and they have done very well - but they are multi-stem and I imagine that if kids were messing with one or the other, they'd pick the single trunk tree.

I will say that if you're interested in them for wildlife (berries) then the Serviceberry is way more popular with birds. It also has very nice fall color and I haven't heard that about hawthorns in general.

Thanks esh, I think that the Serviceberry is more available too. I hope I get more replies before I buy!

I prefer the serviceberry due to the fall color and bird attraction but that's a personal opinion. Bird song goes under the "asset" category in my book. I'm just doing a new landscape and have 2 serviceberry cultivar and 3 Hawthorn, including winter king, on my list, but the hawthorn is on the "if there is room and I happen to run across one in a nursery" list.

Went shopping this weekend for s. Autumn Brilliance and could not find it anywhere but John Deer Landscaping. Theirs were quite large, $129 each, which is more than I can spend on a single plant considering how much I need. I bought 7 viburnums, more shrubs, two other trees, yada yada that day and haven made a dent in my wish list. Very nice specimens though. I'm going to try a few more places this week, travel further, if I find any I will post.