Three bursts of white blossom illuminate the land in springtime. The first burst is Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) in early March, followed by Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) later in the month. Then Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) as seen above -sometimes called the Mayflower albeit in flower from late April.

 All were standard hedging plants hence their widespread distribution in surviving hedgerows or remnants of hedgerows. Left to their own devices they grow from large shrubs into small trees and perpetuate themselves in thickets by suckering and self-seeding.

 Of course a good many other shrubs and trees are laden with blossom but for sheer quantity these three dominate the spring landscape.