English Hawthorn, Crataegus Laevigata, 20 Tree Seeds Native to Europe, India and North Africa, English Hawthorn is a small, low-branching, deciduous tree or large shrub that is noted for its profuse spring bloom. It typically grows 15 to 20 feet tall with a rounded crown. Straight to zigzag, thorny stems are clad with 3 to 5-lobed, dark green leaves to 2 1/2 inches long. White 5-petaled flowers in clusters (corymbs) bloom in mid spring. Flowers are followed by red fruits (pomes to 1/2 inch long), in fall. The fruit is sometimes called a Haw. The word Haw also means hedge, the Hawthorn being a thorny hedge. In the 1800s, English Hawthorn was widely planted in England as a hedgerow plant because of its thorns. Hawthorns are an important food for wildlife in winter, particularly thrushes and waxwings. The fruit of Hawthorn are edible but are commonly made into jellies, jams, and syrups, used to make wine, or to add flavor to brandy, rather than eaten fresh. They are pulpy and delicate in taste. The flower petals are also edible, as are the leaves, which if picked in spring when still young, are tender enough to be used in salads Leaf: Alternate, simple, 1 to 2 inches long, obovate, serrate and deeply lobed, subtending long thorns, dark green above and paler below. Flower: Monoecious; perfect, small white flowers 1/4 to 1/2 inch, with 5 petals produced in clusters near the end of the twig, appearing in mid to late spring. Fruit: Small dark red pomes, 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter; maturing in the early fall. Twig: Slender, gray; buds dark, shiny red and round; bearing obvious, stiff, 1 inch long thorns; leaf scars contain 3 bundle scars. Bark: Smooth and red-brown when young, later turning gray and scaly. Form: Erect, spreading deciduous shrub or small tree 15 to 30 feet tall.