Hawthorn Quickthorn is one of the mainstays of Stewardship hedgerows since as a very tough, thorny dense growing shrub or small tree and it is superb for stock proofing as well as supporting the other varieties in the mix. Because of its density Hawthorn Quickthorn provides shelter and food for innumerable birds, insects and animals for example the flowers are a favourite of dormice and provide pollen and nectar for bees and other insects and the nutritious berries are eaten by birds and small mammals.
Stewardship Hedging has been in place in England for over a thousand years, forming boundaries between properties and parishes as well as preventing livestock from straying out of their designated areas. Some of the boundaries are the remains of ancient wooded sites which have been clipped, infilled, or replaced or if the skills are available locally the art of hedge laying is not dead and can be a sight to behold. Government grants in recent years have helped in repairing and re-establishing many of these hedgerows as a move to encourage more wildlife, flora as well as fauna as we become more aware of the necessity to do this.
Hawthorn Quickthorn or Crataegus Monogyna is also known as the May tree and interestingly is the only plant named after the month in which it flowers. The blossoms are usually white although some may have a pink tinge and appear after the early flowering Blackthorn and in areas where it is very exposed to weather may be one of the few plants either to survive or self-seed.
In medieval times it was said that Hawthorn blossom smelled of death and if taken indoors would bring illness and death with it, subsequently it was discovered that a chemical produced in the flowers is the same one as produced in decaying animal flesh. As a matter of interest for foragers, the young foliage, flower buds and flowers of Hawthorn Quickthorn are all edible, usually added to salads and the berries are used to make wines, jellies and ketchups.
Hawthorn Quickthorn is tolerant of any situation and soil, is very economical to grow, often being planted as a single species hedge as well as being the largest percent of any species in Stewardship mixes, the only criteria being that in planting a new hedge if rabbits are a problem then the plastic spiral guards are a must. Occasionally a Hawthorn Quickthorn plant may be allowed to develop into a full size tree along the hedgerow in order to break up the monotony of along straight line of hedge as well as to provide a taller settling point for songbirds and the like.
A friendly heads up about our stewardship Hawthorn hedging products……
Products in our Farm Stewardship Hedging section are priced on a wholesale basis for larger scale farm and professional users and so in the spirit of wholesale, a minimum order value of £250 (excluding VAT) applies. We still accept orders below this value, but we must point out that they will automatically attract a £49 (excluding VAT) delivery charge to cover our packing, administration and delivery costs fully on these low margin products.
If your order is significantly under £250 it would almost certainly be more economical for you (after the delivery cost has been applied) to order from our main Hawthorn Hedging page where the plants may cost a little more but delivery is free on orders over £60 (ex VAT).
Delivery is free for most orders above our free delivery thresholds, these are displayed above our prices in the product listings and summarized below. If you don’t need that many plants it’s not a problem, you can choose to pay our delivery charge and only order what you need.
Delivery is convenient – no signature is required so you don’t need to wait in, we will leave your parcel in the safe place that you nominate.
Delivery is fast – because we pick orders daily from our own growing beds your plants only travel the small hop to our packing shed before being sent to you, they are usually delivered within 3-7 days.
Delivery is reliable – we have been selling and delivering Hedging Plants to our customers nationwide since 1992. We have a lot of experience in packing them safely and only use tried and tested delivery partners.
Smaller Plants (Parcel Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £90 | £15.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £90 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £24.00 |
Heavy Plants (Pallet Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £420 | £72.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £420 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £72.00 |
Tall Plants 2.5m+ (Specialist Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Under £1800 | Please call us |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £1800 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | Not available |
Exceptions to our delivery charges are Scottish Highland and Isle of Wight delivery areas where we need to charge a little extra to cover the cost of deliveries to these outlying areas. We don’t currently delivery to other offshore addresses including Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
Tall plants over 2.5 metres have to be delivered by our own specialised transport, our delivery area is limited to mainland England and Wales only.
Please note there is a minimum order value of £50 for orders containing smaller plants and £250 for orders containing heavier plants
Complete delivery information can be viewed on our Delivery Information page
