Mayday

The Mayday tree is a medium sized tree that produces beautiful five petalled white flowers clustered along short stalks know botanically as racemes. The tree is native to Northern Europe and has for a very long time been a part of our history. The best part of having a Mayday tree in your yard is they are by far the first species to bud out in the spring. You will often see flowers and leaves at the very beginning of May if not the end of April. After a long winter they are a true delight for both gardeners and hungry honey bees. They produce very small cherries that are readily eaten by birds. They are a very hardy tree and require little maintenance. At maturity they can grow to 10m tall, but we know of a specimen or two down on river side that would put that measurement to the test.

Description

Description

Additional information
Common Name

Mayday

Latin Name

Prunus padus

Form

Round

Life Span

50

Growth Rate

Moderate

Mature Height

10m

Mature Spread

10m

Flower Colour

White

Fragrance

Pleasant when in bloom

Fall Colour

orange

,

red

,

Yellow

Soil Preference

Adaptable to All

Exposure Preference

Full sun

Cold Hardiness Zone

Zone 3

Folk Lore

When a Mayday tree is in an unhealthy state, it can be prone to basal sprouting. The tree is also susceptible to the cursed black knot fungus.
The Mayday name is taken from the ancient Mayday festivals of Europe that celebrated the arrival of summer. In many regions and cultures they would gather wild flowers, weave garlands, dance around maypoles and pull corks around large bonfires. It could be speculated that the early flowers of aMayday tree reminded those good people with fondness of the celebrations that were soon to come.
In ancient Scotland the tree was know as the “hagberry” and was believed to be a witches tree. In the middle ages it was custom to place the bark of a Mayday at your door which was believed to ward off the plague.

Available Sizes

50mm

,

60mm

Common Name

Mayday

Latin Name

Prunus padus

Form

Round

Life Span

50

Growth Rate

Moderate

Mature Height

10m

Mature Spread

10m

Flower Colour

White

Fragrance

Pleasant when in bloom

Fall Colour

orange

,

red

,

Yellow

Soil Preference

Adaptable to All

Exposure Preference

Full sun

Cold Hardiness Zone

Zone 3

Folk Lore

When a Mayday tree is in an unhealthy state, it can be prone to basal sprouting. The tree is also susceptible to the cursed black knot fungus.
The Mayday name is taken from the ancient Mayday festivals of Europe that celebrated the arrival of summer. In many regions and cultures they would gather wild flowers, weave garlands, dance around maypoles and pull corks around large bonfires. It could be speculated that the early flowers of aMayday tree reminded those good people with fondness of the celebrations that were soon to come.
In ancient Scotland the tree was know as the “hagberry” and was believed to be a witches tree. In the middle ages it was custom to place the bark of a Mayday at your door which was believed to ward off the plague.

Available Sizes

50mm

,

60mm