Stanmore Country Park Nature Trail <
Post 19: This ride through young secondary woodland was created in 1998 to link John Hall’s Field and 40 Acre Field to the south. It is a good place to see Ringlet butterflies, which are active in late June and early July (see illustration below).


Image: Ringlet by Marian Sartin.

We believe the hawthorn bush here to be a pure common hawthorn Crataegus monogyna. See if you agree with us! Pick ten or so fruits and, squashing them between your fingers, count the number of seeds in each fruit. As noted before, a pure common hawthorn will have one seed per fruit; a pure midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata will have two. Hybrids are common and will have a seed per fruit average between 1 and 2. The leaves differ: common hawthorn leaves tend to be more deeply divided than those of the midland hawthorn – see illustration below. However, leaves of all shapes can be found on a single bush, so leaf shape is a poor method for distinguishing the two species.


Image: Typical leaves of common hawthorn on the left, and midland hawthorn on the right. Image by Steve Bolsover.

To description for post 20

Click here to learn more about the Harrow Nature Conservation Forum including guided walks and conservation workdays.