5 Year Native Tree Challenge - Woocash’s Hawthorns

[Woocash]

Crataegus Monogyna, Common Hawthorn, found throughout Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.

I have found quite a few of these around by me and these are a selection I’ve found in a local woodland near me that I have got permission to collect from. In my haste and beginner enthusiasm I ended up chopping a few this spring in preparation for collecting this winter/next spring. Some have done well, some showed initial promise before fading or getting eaten, but at least they are all still alive. Others I have earmarked , but not chopped. I have 10 here to choose from and although I probably won’t end up digging them all, most will be, if not used for the contest. There are also others at different locations which may be in contention as well. Decisions decisions....

Definitely


Maybe


Twin trunk #1


Twin trunk #2


Hollow base

 

[Woocash]

Funky clump


Monster. Probably too much for a 5 year job but coming out nonetheless


Oddjob


Wannabe shohin


Raftish

 

[BonsaiDTLA]

The Hollow base one looks pretty awesome. I bet you could definitely pull off something really unique with those characteristics

 

[Woocash]

The Hollow base one looks pretty awesome. I bet you could definitely pull off something really unique with those characteristics

Yea I like that one too, it’ll probably be one of the contenders, but I wish I hadn’t chopped it. It’s probably suffered the most after growing well initially after the chop. It got eaten by deer and new growth appeared closer to the base, but not at the top. It still looks to be alive though. It has Interesting movement and is pretty cool looking having been exposed to regular flooding and degradation over the years.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Niiiice!

I am jealous of all the hawthorns you have lying around!

 

[Woocash]

It may not currently feel like it with our coldest week of the winter in progress, but it will soon be time to dig some hawthorns. Last year I had dug them all bar two (I think) by now, but with recent wet weather, flooding and now the cold snap, conditions haven’t been right. That said, I thought I’d try a little experiment with a hawthorn I found at the back end of last year near where some workmen had cleared or cut back some trees in an area where they were working. It is growing in what can only be described as pebbles, which doesn’t bode well for surface roots, though I have no idea where the stones end and soil begins.

Anyway, as I am clearly impatient I decided to cut back all growth to where I‘d like to begin development from in an effort to stave the tree from expending unnecessary energy in pushing buds in undesirable positions, redirecting growth to the cut points instead and with the hope that it gives it a boost when I come to collect in a few weeks. I have no idea if this is a folly, but I’m quite excited to see the results.