Hawthorn Berry | Shan Zha

Hawthorn trees are one of those ‘in between’ species, that can’t quite decide whether to be a bush or a tree. Old trees can grow quite tall, up to 12 m, but Hawthorn is most commonly found in hedges, where it rarely grows above 5m. Thanks to its thorny branches they make an effective natural barrier, warding off intruders while simultaneously providing a protective wildlife habitat. Some trees are said to have reached the ripe old age of 500 years, but even relatively young ones often give the impression of being ancient grandmother trees.

A heady, almost narcotic and somewhat musky scent exudes from the flowers, as anyone who has ever held a siesta underneath a Hawthorn tree will recall. By autumn the flowers have turned into bunches of red glowing, oval fruit that superficially resemble rosehips. These berries are smaller though, and their taste and texture is rather dry and floury.

Hawthorn has long been regarded a sacred tree in Britain and Ireland, where it was considered a terrible offense to cut a thorn tree down. The Druids  held the Hawthorn sacred and associated it with the White Goddess and the month of May. In Britain it figures prominently in the Glastonbury Holythorn legend of Joseph of Arimathea, an uncle of Jesus Christ. When he came to Glastonbury he struck his Hawthorn staff into the ground at Wearyall Hill, whereupon it immediately started to set roots and began to flower. Joseph of Arimathea proceeded to found the first Christian Church in Glastonbury and planted a sprig of this Holy Thorn in the church grounds, where descendants of this very tree can still be seen today. His Hawthorn had the unusual habit of flowering twice a year, once in May, as all Hawthorns do, and once at Christmas, Christ’s birthday. Christian lore also has it that the crown of thorns was made of Hawthorn. The Druids also held the Hawthorn sacred and associated it with the White Goddess and the month of May.