# Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

> A thorny small tree or large shrub to about 15 m, smothered in white May blossom and red haws in autumn. It is the standard hedging plant of the British and Irish countryside and supports over 300 insect species, nesting birds and migrating thrushes. Tough, cheap and quick to establish, so it is used in almost every hedgerow and scrub-planting scheme.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/crataegus-monogyna · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Common hawthorn, May, Quickthorn
- Family: Rosaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 10 m; spread 8 m
- Growth: Medium growth; lives about 300 years
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Almost any soil including heavy clay and chalk; flowers and fruits best in full sun
- Native range: Native throughout Europe including Britain and Ireland, North Africa and western Asia; naturalised in North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

**Benefits:** Wildlife, Birds, Pollinators, Flowers, Fits small spaces, Windbreak

**Good for:** Hedgerow, Small yard, Screening, Windbreak, Reforestation

**Watch out for:** Thorns, Invasive elsewhere

## Care

Plant bare-root in winter, in a staggered double row for hedges, and cut back hard after planting to thicken. Trim hedges once a year in late winter after berries are eaten; standards need little pruning. Susceptible to fireblight, aphids and gall mites. Thorns make it unsuitable next to play areas.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Spain; France; United Kingdom; Ireland; Morocco
- **Adapted:** NSW, Australia (Introduced and naturalised per WCVP; a recognised environmental weed in south-eastern Australia); QLD, Australia (Introduced per WCVP); New Zealand (Introduced and naturalised on both islands per WCVP); South Africa (Introduced (Cape Provinces, Free State) per WCVP)

## Sources

- https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hawthorn/
- https://www.gbif.org/species/9220780