Latin name: Crataegus laevigata
Common name: Midland hawthorn
Other names: Albespyne, bird eagles, English hawthorn, quickset thorn, quickthorn, whitethorn, mayflower
How to spot it and where to find it: Though Midland hawthorn is often mistaken for common hawthorn (Native Britain, 3 May 2017), they are two separate plants. The Midland variety was once the most common, favouring ancient woodland and hedge banks. Today, those habitats are much rarer, and so the species is less abundant. It can be identified by the fact that it has shallower leaf lobes and tends to flower two weeks earlier than common hawthorn. Its flowers are creamy-white, and followed by oval red berries called haws. In winter, its spines emerge from the same point as the buds, which distinguishes them from blackthorn, which has buds…
