Hawthorne (Crataegus oxyacantha)

Ancient Greeks related this tree to Mars, as it creates the hottest fire of any wood. A member of the rose family, it grows from Europe to North Africa to the Americas. May Day is marked by Hawthorn’s flowery perfume. In the British Isles, even today, it is known as the “Fairy Tree.”   Some grow on soiled tops of old walls in the ancient countryside.