Hawthorn

hawthorn or may or whitethorn, Crataegus oxyacantha, symbol of spring; the best-known member of a group of small, thorny trees of the rose family. Species of the genus grow throughout Europe, Asia, and N. America. ‘Haw’ comes from an Old English word which can mean both hedge and berry.

The common hawthorns, whitethorns, or may trees of Europe, Crataegus oxyacantha and C. monogyna, have small, red berries which are very sour and have not been much used as food except in times of famine. They are sometimes made into a sharp jelly for serving with meat. The flower buds are, or were, eaten by country children under the popular name ‘bread and cheese’ (or, in Welsh, ‘burra cause’) and make an interesting addition to salads.