Trees to look for in May — Hawthorn
Photo credit: Tamsin Bent
Where to look
It is commonly found growing in hedgerows, woodland and scrub. It will grow in most soils, but flowers and fruits best in full sun.
Description
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) trees can grow up to 15 metres tall but they are usually found in hedges, with the Anglo Saxon word, ‘haga’ meaning both hedge and hawthorn! Their flowers are hermaphrodite (contain both male and female reproductive parts) and are highly scented to attract insect pollinators. The flowers are often also called May blossom, after the month in which they bloom. Once pollinated, the flowers develop into red fruit known as 'haws'. Although they look like berries, they are a type of fruit known as a pome, which is a fleshy fruit (such as an apple or pear) made up of an outer thick fleshy layer and a central core with usually five seeds enclosed in a capsule. Haws are an important food source for birds which then spread the seeds in their poo!
For more info see https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hawthorn/
For more info see https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hawthorn/
Spottings
Theo
Theo
Joy
“Ready to open”
Gav
“Pretty hawthorn on Goss Moor, Cornwall.”
“In my hedge i planted with other natural species”
Alison
“On Minchinhampton Common, the hawthorn blossomed really early this year due to the warm weather, so I was lucky to catch this.”
Jo
Ella
“Found in the garden”
“Found by Bethan”
Mrs Shakeshaft and Daniel
“Lots of hawthorn in our hedge but this is the first blossom.”
Barbie
Devizes
“Hawthorn in bloom”
Nanny and Pops
“Along the banks of the K&A Canal 01/05/2020”
“In garden and out and about on the commons - lots of different sorts”
Tamsin
“I saw the first hawthorn flowers today!”
Where we've found Hawthorns
Hawthorn spottings journal (21 seen)
| Last seen | Location | Spotted by | Group | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 May 2024 | Stroud Valleys Project | |||
| 13 May 2023 | Selsley Common | Theo | Theo & Frankie | |
| 13 May 2023 | Selsley Common | Theo | Theo & Frankie | |
| 4 May 2023 | Stroud Valleys Project | |||
| 25 Apr 2022 | Capel's Mill | Stroud Valleys Project | ||
| 7 Jul 2021 | Stroud Valleys Project | |||
| 7 May 2021 | Stratford park, Stroud | Joy | Tochers | Ready to open |
| 14 Jun 2020 | Goss Moor | Gav | Blended | Pretty hawthorn on Goss Moor, Cornwall. |
| 27 May 2020 | stroud | Stroud Valley Community School | In my hedge i planted with other natural species | |
| 25 May 2020 | Minchinhampton Common by the phone box in Amberley | Alison | New Ventures Trust | On Minchinhampton Common, the hawthorn blossomed really early this year due to the warm weather, so I was lucky to catch this. |
| 19 May 2020 | Capel's Mill | Jo | The Weaver's | |
| 19 May 2020 | Rodborough common | Ella | The Weaver's | |
| 12 May 2020 | Wales Class | Found in the garden | ||
| 12 May 2020 | City Bank Nature Reserve | Ireland Class | Found by Bethan | |
| 7 May 2020 | The Heavens, Stroud | Gabb | ||
| 6 May 2020 | Mrs Shakeshaft and Daniel | St John's on-the-Hill | Lots of hawthorn in our hedge but this is the first blossom. | |
| 5 May 2020 | Shoreditch park | Barbie | ClH | |
| 1 May 2020 | Quaker's Walk Devizes | Devizes | Cooks&Co | Hawthorn in bloom |
| 1 May 2020 | Nanny and Pops | Cooks&Co | Along the banks of the K&A Canal 01/05/2020 | |
| 30 Apr 2020 | Centre Stroud | Trinity | In garden and out and about on the commons - lots of different sorts | |
| 17 Apr 2020 | Hamwell Lees | Tamsin | Stroud Valleys Project | I saw the first hawthorn flowers today! |
← OTHER THINGS TO LOOK FOR THIS MONTH
