Wednesday 13 March 2013

Crataegus Monogyna; Common Hawthorn

A small spreading deciduous tree or a hedgerow shrub that grows up to 15m tall. Either grows on a single stout bole or is multi stemmed with a spreading crown. The berries provide food for a lot of wildlife including birds and moths. 


The branches and twigs are usually densely packed with sharp spines.


The leaves are roughly ovate and deeply lobed reaching 4.5cm long. They usually have three lobes and are pointed with a few teeth near the apex. They have a tough feel with toughs of hair over them. The fruits or haws are usually rounded and bright red, sometimes more of a maroon colour and contain hard cased seeds. 


The bark is usually deeply fissured into a fairly regular pattern of vertical grooves. The outer layers are grey and the lower layers more of an orang colour.  


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