Hawthorn

A small, extremely hardy native tree with exceptional wildlife value for its size. Spring blossom for pollinators, autumn haws for birds, and support for hundreds of insect species. Ideal for tight spaces and hedgerows.

Hawthorn

Carbon and evidence

Carbon Sink & Ecosystem Services

A living landscape element — a carbon sink and provider of ecosystem services, not a manufactured product. Its value is measured by sequestration and biodiversity, not embodied carbon, and it must never be netted against a product’s A1–A3.

Referenced

Carbon Sequestration

~3–10kgCO2/yr

Sequestered — carbon removed from the atmosphere

indicative for a small tree at maturity; varies with size, form and context

Source: i-Tree Eco

Indicative and highly variable by species, size, soil and context. Sequestration is slow and reversible — it is not equivalent to avoiding an emission and must not offset embodied product carbon.

Biodiversity Net Gain

Medium distinctiveness

native; exceptional wildlife value for its size (blossom, haws, insects)

Source: Defra Biodiversity Metric 4.0

England requires a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain; distinctiveness is one input to the habitat unit calculation.

Water / SuDS

canopy interception reduces runoff

Source: CIRIA SuDS Manual (C753)

Ecosystem Services

shade & urban coolingair quality (PM capture)canopy interception (SuDS)amenity (CAVAT)bird & pollinator habitat

Establishment & Maintenance

nursery growing, transport, tree pit, staking and establishment watering carry a small upfront carbon cost

Read This Honestly

  • Sequestration is slow, uncertain and reversible — it un-banks if the plant dies.
  • Never offset embodied product carbon with it.

Image: Nilfanion / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Evidence:Referenced source

Products in this category

No manufacturer products are listed in this category yet. You can specify hawthorn generically and carry it through to a render and specification as normal.

Specification

Finish
Small tree
Service life
60 years

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