With today being St. Patrick’s Day, ArborNote’s Tree of the Week is the Common Hawthorne Tree (Crataegus monogyna). The Hawthorne Tree, known in Irish as Sceach, is the primary tree associated with leprechauns and fairy folk in Irish folklore. Often called “fairy thorns” or “fairy trees,” these solitary, old, and thorny trees were considered sacred meeting places. It is widely considered bad luck to cut down, damage, or even touch a solitary hawthorn tree. The plant is native to Europe, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world. It grows to about 33 feet tall, and produces a berry-like pomes (known as haws) containing a stone-encased seed. The pome flesh is of little culinary interest due to its dryness, but is used to make jellies!