Hawthorn is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae. The name was originally used for a species native to northern Europe, but it is now applied to the entire genus. They are mostly small trees growing 15 to 50 feet tall with small pome fruit and thorny branches. The bark is often smooth in young trees, with older trees having long fissures in it. The leaves grow in spirals on long shoots and leaf out in clusters. The fruits are edible, tasting like overripe apples. Depending on which type of hawthorn grows in an area, local people may use the fruit  to make preserves and drinks like wine and punch