Tree of the Week

Week 7 – Crataegus monogyna; Hawthorn

Hawthorn may not be a big impressive tree but at this time of year it is exciting because it is one of the first to come in to leaf. Just as it seems like winter will never end, you spot an unfurling hawthorn leaf and – hurray! Spring has truly arrived. The form of the plant could really be anything, depending on context – from the clear stemmed specimens in open parkland at Tatton to a formally clipped garden hedge and all kinds of wild hedgerow in between. Identify it, then, from its many-lobed bright green leaves un-concertina-ing now, and thorns about 10mm long. In May there’s the uplifting blossom (may blossom) and in late summer deep red ‘berries’ (haws) dangling in small clusters from the twig. Small birds seem to love it, and it will grow in just about any soil apart from very wet.