The Darling Buds Of May

Naomi Slade looks at the myths and legends of hawthorn. Keep it out of the house… unless you have the odd vampire lurking!

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There is a fantastic energy about the beginning of May. It is the point at which spring is tipping over into summer, the frosts have gone and the spirit is one of fertility and burgeoning growth. It is also the time of year when the hedgerows become a mass of frothy hawthorn.

Hawthorn is an ancient and significant native species. It is the only British plant named after the month in which it blooms – ‘May’ – and if one is going to cast a clout, one should not do it before the hawthorn is in flower.