[4] Taxonomic opinions have differed about this species, and to complicate matters Crataegus macrosperma and various species of C. series Populneae have frequently been misidentified as C. iracunda, leading to differing statements about its geographic range.

[2] The 2015 Flora of North America considers its range to be in the southeastern U.S., restricted to the US states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

[2] Crataegus iracunda is a branching shrub or small tree rarely more than 6 meters (20 feet) in height, sprouting from the roots and thus forming large thickets.

Leaves are egg-shaped, pointed at the tips, with teeth along the edges.

Fruit is red or orange, sometimes with green blotches.