There are hundreds of species of Hawthorn that thrive in a wide variety of conditions. Some are native to my area! They are shrub trees, with thorny branches and scraggly shapes in the landscape, blooming with flowers pollinators go bonkers for, and producing edible berries (though I’ve never tasted them). Hawthorn makes a natural and protective hedgerow. Small birds and wildlife seek shelter under its branches as protection from predators, especially birds of prey and critters too big to get th

“It’s only mystery and I like it.”With apologies to The Rolling Stones and thanks to that bumper sticker I saw eons ago, Willow has always felt to me like a tree of mysteries. When I was a kid, I’d hang out under the draping branches and feel like I was part of a grand secret. It reaches not only down into the earth and up to the sky, but also extends out to any waterway in its vicinity (for better or worse!). The dichotomy of growing up and draping over at the same time has a lot of resonance f

We’re talking about one of my favorite ogham today: Hazel. I’ve even got a little hazelnut sapling that hasn’t died yet, even though I don’t really like filberts or hazelnuts or whatever you call ‘em. There are a lot of varieties of Hazel; it’s native to many parts of the northern hemisphere, but here in the US it is mostly a smaller understory tree or shrub.  The deep green and texture of the leaves look so pretty! It works well as a small shade tree or windbreak. And its fruits (nuts) support