The Hawthorn Flowering Calendar and the Name May
A record in The Hawthorn Archive, preserving folklore with its place, type and source context attached.
Common hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, is also called May or may-tree. Its flowers often appear in late spring, but the date changes with weather, altitude and location. The folk name therefore identifies a seasonal association rather than a fixed flowering date.
That distinction matters when interpreting proverbs and May Day traditions. A calendar celebration and a flowering event can be culturally linked without coinciding every year. Classification: seasonal plant knowledge. Region: Britain. Source trail: Woodland Trust identification and seasonal accounts of hawthorn; Royal Horticultural Society guidance on hawthorn flowering. Related journal article.