We have two native species of Hawthorn in Britain, the Midland Hawthorn Crataegus leavigata (Poir.) DC., has two or three stigmas and therefore two or three seeds in the berry. Its leaves are simpler and have fewer lobes, and the flowers are somewhat bell-shaped. The Common Hawthorn, this species, Crataegus monogyna Jacq., has a single stigma and therefore only ever one seed in the berry, implied by its scientific name of "one-female".
There are a lot of imported Hawthorn on the market, chosen because they generally grow faster, and produce more berries. Those attributes are not necessarily bad, and we do also offer this form. But on the whole we aim for collections of south-west native seeds for planting. The wild form, especially those growing on our south-west uplands of Exmoor, Dartmoor & Bodmin Moor present a far thornier bush, which, although somewhat slower-growing produce a far more impenetrable stock-proof field hedge, and these are the main ones offered from our select stands on Trebrown Farm, provenance UK305 Cornwall.
Crataegus monogyna is not a FRM controlled species. But is FRM Certified under the voluntary scheme.
