Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn

A very common shrub or small tree with spiny twigs and deeply cut leaves which is ubiquitous in hedges and woodland throughout Britain. The attractive white flowers which appear en masse in spring, commonly in May, have 1 (rarely 2) styles and a single stone (rarely 2) in the fruit. It is native throughout Britain but it has been widely planted in hedges and is also available in cultivated forms which often have pink or red flowers. All native Hawthorn in Britain is probably referrable to Crataegus monogyna ssp. nordica, but Crataegus monogyna ssp. azarella (Griseb.), which has more hairy twigs and leaves, is frequently grown in parks. Hawthorn fruits (haws) are usually oval or somewhat rounded in shape and bright red at maturity. They are a valuable food source for various frugiverous birds such as Fieldfare, Redwing and Blackbird and also small mammals such as voles and mice. It is also the food plant for a number of lepidopteran species, e.g. Lappet Moth. It is an extremel common species in West Glamorgan where it occurs most frequently in hedges but also in woodlands, particularly near their borders, and also in scrub on coastal cliffs and other scrubby communities in open mosaic habitats, waste places and clearfell. It hybridises freely with other Crataegus species such as Midland Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata).