Hawthorn

Crataegus monogyna (common/single-seeded hawthorn, whitethorn, may blossom), is part of the rose family Rosaceae. Prevalent locally, it is native to Europe and parts of Africa and Asia but found more widely.

Common hawthorn is hardy, growing in most soil types (10-15m max height) although its flowers and fruits prefer full sun. The UK’s oldest, in Norfolk, is allegedly over 700 years old (certainly hundreds).

Unlike blackthorn, hawthorn spines emerge from the same point as the buds in winter. Its leaves turn yellow before falling while its distinctive, scented white (or pink) flowers are hermaphrodite and its red fruits (haws) can be used in cooking (e.g. jams).

Being native, common hawthorn is excellent for local biodiversity, with its impenetrability making it a safe habitat. Bees and other pollinators are attracted to their flowers while the antioxidant-rich haws are popular with birds and mammals.

Common hawthorn was a pagan fertility symbol and ancestor of the maypole, used to ward off witches and vampires. It was also associated with death. It later transpired that trimethylamine, the chemical in hawthorn blossom, forms in decaying animal tissue - which probably explains it.

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