English Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata)

Dense thorny crown with shallowly lobed leaves (cut <halfway to midrib), forward-pointing lobes, 2-3 styles, 2-3 seeded slightly oval fruits. Both interfertile, hybridizing frequently (C. × media). Sharp thorns ~12.5mm-2 inches. Zones 4-8 (C. monogyna Zone 3). RHS Award of Garden Merit cultivars: 'Paul's Scarlet' (double red), 'Punicea' (pink/white), 'Rosea Flore Pleno' (double pink).

Small red pomes (haws) 6-12mm (C. monogyna), 6-10mm (C. laevigata). Dark red to bright red. Edible raw but dry, mealy, bland - too dry for fresh eating. Sweet-tart when raw. Commonly made into jellies, jams, syrups, wines, ketchups, to add flavor to brandy. High pectin content - good additive for low-pectin fruit jams. Young leaves, flower buds, petals also edible (salads, grated root salads). Haws cause mild stomach upset when eaten raw. Dried/ground fruits used as flour substitute historically.

Extensively planted as hedge plants, especially in agriculture. Spines and close branching render effectively livestock/human-proof. Pagan fertility symbol, May Day associations, Maypole ancestor. Wood: creamy-brown, finely grained, very hard. Good firewood/charcoal, high-temperature burning. Invasive in parts of Australia, New Zealand, western North America (hosts fire blight bacterium Erwinia amylovora).