I visited my Tree of the Year once again a few days ago to observe the subtle changes that are taking place for this Hawthorn as the winter rolls on and we come to the end of January.
She hangs on the edge of the escarpment, ravaged by wind and by rain and the weary passage of unforgiving winter days and shows me how character may be formed at the confluence of hardship and beauty.
Those berries that are left so late in the season are withered and blackening but buds are starting to form and a new growth of thorns offer their protection.
Whilst the bark of her trunk is textured, old and cracked, her branches have a wonderful smooth reddish skin.
One of the many things trees can teach to us mortals is the way to be young and old simultaneously, the balance between retaining and renewing wherein lies the path to wisdom.
There is nothing straight or symmetrical about these Hawthorns, they twist and bend as nature dictates and, in so doing, they endure.
Until the leaves and blossoms come to soften their forms, they stand stark in their sculptural beauty, yielding yet defiant against the changing palettes of relentless January skies.
Thank you for these breathtaking pictures!
What a magnificent tree!
Thank you for your beautiful and wise words, Lucinda.
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Thanks Brigitte! How are your Hawthorns getting on in NZ?
It will be time for berries soon with you, doesn’t the year speed by!
xxx
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Thanks for posting this – great pix etc. I am very drawn to Hawthorn – there’s a lot of it around here and each May it ‘calls’ to me.
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How lovely. We have such a rich tradition of living alongside Hawthorn in this country, I think it’s a really important tree for us.
I’m really enjoying observing her at this time of year as it’s usually the time I take the least notice.
Take care x
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You write beautifully! I really must get on with my Year of Trees entry. I want to follow Elder but the only one locally is a rather shrubby bush just outside my hall window. I might follow that one regardless though – and maybe the apple as well. Your photographs of Hawthorn are just beautiful as well – I love how much character the tree has, and have noticed that Hawthorn always does seem to develop character, whether the tree is part of a hedge or growing in solitary splendour on the edge of a precipice!
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Oh yes, I’d love to read about your year of Elder gazing, she’s such a magical tree, one of my favourite allies.
And apple too, that’s another tree that always seems to have character isn’t it. I think of apple as the tree of friendship.
x
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I like the photo of the old berries and the thorn – the tree itself is a beauty!
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[…] from the UK with her Hawthorne Marqueta from Idaho in the US with her Osage Orange Amber in Ottawa with some very nice bark […]
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Wonderful photos of a beautiful tree!
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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Cindy, hillpoems. hillpoems said: RT @europeantrees: Beautiful photographic study of an English Hawthorn by a @treeyear contributor: http://bit.ly/e8GdyM #trees […]
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I found this nice recipe for hawthorn berries, Lucinda. Thought you might like it tooxx
http://wildfoodmushroomsfishing.blogspot.com/2010/08/hawthorn-berry-chutney-with-thyme.html
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