A Tree On Its Day

While not quite in the vein of every dog having its day, a tree in the garden gave a special display today, a gorgeous hour of being at its best as the sun caught its beautiful autumn colour and I went out with the camera to capture the scene for such moments are very often fleeting.

This is Crataegus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’, a hawthorn, which is a native tree of the United States and Canada and is grown on this side of the Atlantic as a garden ornamental. By coincidence, our tree was grown from seed sent from a gardening friend in Maryland and has proved it ornamental value ever since being planted here. It has a good covering of blossom in spring, shining broad leaves during the summer and excellent autumn colour both from the foliage and the very generous set of berries (haws) in autumn.

The very long sharp thorns are the only drawback of the tree. Over the years they have given me very good reason to prune off the lower branches which are inclined to grow long, spread wide and droop from their own weight so the thorns become a danger to anybody walking beneath. It is no wonder it has earned the common name of “Cockspur Thorn” in America! Today, any disadvantage was forgotten and the glory of a good garden tree was enjoyed.