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First flowering

Record hawthorn first flowering when the petals of the first individual flower in a cluster are open sufficiently for you to see inside the flower.

If you have recorded hawthorn events before, continue to record on the same shrub.

Expected Date Range: early April to late May

Available historic data: we have some records from 1753-1810, and 1818-1890. We have very good data from 1891-1947 (9015 records) and some data from 1974-1999. 

Just right

  • (Kylie Harrison Mellor/WTML)

Too early

  • (Kylie Harrison Mellor/WTML)

Too late

  • (Kylie Harrison Mellor/WTML)

Not to be confused with

  • Hybrid flowers
    Midland hawthorn hybrid: resembling its two parents hybrids usually have a mixture of one and two flower styles (northeastwildlife.co.uk)
  • Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Hawthorn will flower after it has its leaves whereas blackthorn flowers before it leaves (WTML).