Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker - Hawthorn Fairy

These thorny branches bore the May
So many months ago,
That when the scattered petals lay
Like drifts of fallen snow,
"This is the story's end," you said;
But 0, not half was told!
For see, my haws are here instead,
And hungry birdies shall be fed
On these when days are cold.

There are over 200 species of hawthorn.  Hawthorn trees grow in pastures and along hedges throughout most temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.  The flowering tops are harvested in late spring and the berries are gathered in late summer to early autumn.  They can be transplanted in winter.

The crataegue oxyancantha species has been a valuable medicinal herb since the Middle Ages. Parts of the leaves, flowers and berries are used for tinctures, decoctions and to make pills that help with circulatory and cardiac problems, including its use as a remedy for high blood pressure, angina and coronary artery disease.