As days shorten and the weather grows crisp, the world around us begins to change. When late summer turns to autumn, in sweeps this ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’, a time of plentiful harvest and magic. Dotted through the hedges and lanes, few trees tell the story of the season like the Rowan, Hawthorn and Wild Pear.
Elegant and otherworldly, the Rowan tree’s feathered leaves shift from soft green to orange to bronze. The month of August arrives heralded by bunches of recognisable reddish orange berries. Not only does the Rowan’s fruit keep garden birds fed as the weather cools, these berries were once thought to help lost travellers. In Celtic mythology, it was believed that as autumn deepened the boundaries between our world and the supernatural thinned. If the road grew longer on a misty night and seemed to go on without end, you might just spy the Rowan’s bright berries guiding you safely home. Even today, there remains a tradition of planting the gentle ‘mountain ash’ outside homes to ward off negative energy, making the gift of a Rowan tree a heartfelt choice for housewarming celebrations.
Often found watching over fields and homes, the Hawthorn is also thought to be a sacred tree of protection. Seen as a fierce guardian, it wasn’t just birds flocking to its branches for shelter during the colder months: fairies were thought to live beneath its thorny boughs, protecting all who gave the tree deep respect. Long associated with the Celtic festival of Samhain, a time when bonfires are lit to mark the end of the season, the Hawthorn’s lush canopy takes on a deep crimson red, matching its shining berries, transforming into a magical fire of burning bronze. While it was thought that falling asleep beneath the Hawthorn’s thorny boughs would transport you to another world, it was also believed to contain powerful healing qualities. Tying an organic cloth made of natural fibres to the Hawthorn’s branches was thought to take away sickness as storms wore away each thread. With strong magical and protective associations, the choice of a Hawthorn remains a thoughtful get-well gift or memorial tree, blossoming at the same time each year and steeped in ancient folklore and healing traditions.
While birds nibble away at Rowan and Hawthorn berries, the Wild Pear tree provides fresh fruit we can also enjoy. Long revered as symbols of generosity and abundance, golden pears were often harvested around the equinox, and today planting your own Wild Pear tree is a perfect way to create an annual autumn tradition in your own garden. Like the Rowan and Hawthorn, Wild Pear trees were also thought to have protective and otherworldly qualities. Romantic and mysterious, the palace of the Chinese Moon goddess is thought to be surrounded by pear trees. In Greek mythology, the pear was the sacred fruit of Hera and also associated with Aphrodite, a symbol of prosperity, good health, and happiness. Emblems of eternal love, with the proper care Wild Pear trees can live for hundreds of years, making them a great wedding or anniversary gift, sentimental and promising many years of future sweetness.
Each with its own unique folklore, by learning the myths of the Rowan, Hawthorn, and Wild Pear, we learn the heart of the season. Our ancestors embraced this transitory time by preserving the secrets of these trees through stories of protection and abundance. While leaves redden and fruit ripens, the music of autumn still dances through the canopy above us, we only have to listen.
