The Hawthorn Bush (Crataegus oxyacantha) or May bush is a beautiful tree and a useful herb in herbal medicine. There is a lot of folklore surrounding the hawthorn and it is called the fairy tree in Ireland. It is seen as bad luck to ever cut down or disturb a hawthorn tree. People in Ireland tie pieces of ribbon or other little gifts on to the tree as a part of a pagan ritual which was adapted by Irish Catholics. One would often see a may bush growing near holy wells and sacred sites, it would be these trees that people tend to decorate with "prayer" ribbons and beads.

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