midland hawthorn
Crataegus laevigata
Known as the May-tree, its blooming was traditionally used to signal the start of summer and is steeped in faerie folklore.
- Scientific name
- Crataegus laevigata
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Rosales › Rosaceae › Crataegus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Ancient deciduous woodlands, traditional hedgerows, and temperate scrubland.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (requires sunlight, water, and CO2).
- Range
- United Kingdom, Western Europe, Central Europe, North Africa
- Size
- Small tree or shrub, typically 5 to 8 meters in height.
- Lifespan
- 100 to 400 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, agricultural intensification, and bacterial fire blight.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but defensive. Be cautious of the sharp thorns when navigating near branches; they can easily puncture skin or clothing. If scratched, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection.
Crataegus laevigata , known as the midland hawthorn , English hawthorn , woodland hawthorn or mayflower , is a species of hawthorn native to western and central Europe, from Great Britain (where it is largely confined to lowland ancient woodland) and Spain east to the Czech Republic and Hungary. It is also present in North Africa. The species name is sometimes spelt C levigata , but the original orthography is C lævigata .
Photo: anemoneprojectors, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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