Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
Rarity: Common at the edge of things — hedgerows, pastures, wild field margins. Hawthorn often grows where one world gives way to another.
This small tree is easy to overlook until spring, when it bursts into pale blossoms that seem to hum with meaning. In fall, its small red berries hang like lanterns among the thorns. The tree is tough, slow-growing, and dense with stories.
Across Northern Europe and parts of the Pacific Northwest, hawthorn marks the boundaries between field and forest, the cultivated and the wild.
Ecological Role
Hawthorn provides dense cover and nesting space for small birds and mammals. Its flowers support early pollinators, and its berries feed birds well into winter. The tree plays a role in restoration, stabilizing soil, creating edge habitat, and supporting insect life. Black hawthorn is used in some native plantings in the Pacific Northwest, especially east of the mountains. It’s a sturdy, reliable presence where the land is recovering.