Common hawthorn in Polissia
Crataegus monogyna
Caution: sharp thorns
The common hawthorn is a thorny shrub or small tree. Its leaves are deeply lobed, its branches armed with sharp thorns. At the end of spring the shrub is densely covered with clusters of white flowers with a characteristic scent, and in autumn with red fruits containing a single stone.
Hawthorn grows on forest edges, in shrubland, on meadows, along roads and on river slopes. In Polissia it is widespread on the outskirts of villages, in floodplains and on the edges of broadleaved forests.
Thorny hawthorn bushes are a favourite nesting place for small birds, and in winter the fruit is eaten by thrushes, waxwings and bullfinches. The red-backed shrike impales its prey on hawthorn thorns.
Hawthorn fruit is edible and is used for tea and jam. Medicinal preparations made from hawthorn affect the heart, so they should be taken only on a doctor's advice.
When to see: flowers in May–June; fruit in September–October
Where it was seen in Polissia
Observations from the open scientific database GBIF since 1990.
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