Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Crataegus monogyna 'Biflora' (Glastonbury Thorn) Vandalized, 1 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
Resin,

Do you know what the USDA Zone for Glastonbury England is? The Glastonbury Thorn will not re-bloom in many locations in America because it is too cold during our winter. The following Wikipedia map suggests that Glastonbury England is in Zone 8 which is almost tropical by my standards: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UK_zonemap.png.

Re-blooming in plants is a genetic condition where the genes which force a plant to undergo vernalization (a prolonged chilling period) are not expressed and other factors such as the length of the day/nigh cycle, temperature or humidity control flowering. In most plants re-blooming is not a long-term survival advantage were it not for the fact that humans find such plants desirable.

Here is a new YouTube tribute on the Glastonbury Thorn.

Glastonbury Holy thorn on Wearyall hill vandalized 9 Dec 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk3GQf8kGNs

Here is a history of the Glastonbury Thorn in the United States. The point of introduction appears to be the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. in 1901.

GLASTONBURY THORN
http://christmas-celebrations.org/103-glastonbury-thorn.html

THE GLASTONBURY THORN IN THE UNITED STATES
At the turn of the twentieth century, the once-renowned abbey at Glastonbury lay in ruins, Stanley Austin, son of England’s reigning poet laureate, owned the abbey property. (The abbey has since passed into the hands of the Church of England.) In 1901, when Austin heard of the plans to build the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., he sent a clipping of the Glastonbury Thorn to the bishop of Washington, the Right Rev. Henry Yates Satterlee. He also sent a sufficient quantity of stones from the ruined abbey to build a bishop’s chair in the new American cathedral. Bishop Satterlee saw the English plant established on the Cathedral grounds, where it does occasionally bloom on Christmas Day.

The National Cathedral has a Zip Code of 20016 and a USDA Zone of 7a where the tree re-blooms occasionally. If Glastonbury is in Zone 8 as was previously speculated, anyone in a North American Zone 8 or higher and some times Zone 7 if the winter is warm or where the urban heat island effect is pronounced, should expect to see the Glastonbury Thorn re-bloom. Those of us, including myself, in Zone 6 or lower are out of luck.

One DG member is growing a now three foot specimen the Glastonbury Thorn from a cutting of the tree in Olean, NY, on the property of St. Stephan's Episcopal Church, has confirmed that the Olean tree is itself a cutting from the National Cathedral.

There are many sellers of the Glastonbury Thorn in England but I could only locate one seller of the tree in the United States who obtained their “foundation propagating wood … by circuitous route from the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.”

The Glastonbury Thorn
http://www.greenmantlenursery.com/2008revision/glastonburyth...

The Greenmantle Nursery did not guarantee in which American locations the Glastonbury Thorn will re-bloom but only states the following:

”While the Glastonbury Thorn tends to bloom during the English winter (and ours), the additional crop of blossoms is not a sure thing - and depends somewhat on weather conditions: periods of intemperate cold could prevent this event. So the December blooms should be regarded as a small miracle of grace.”

The Glastonbury Thorn trees sold by Greenmantle Nursery are grafted on roots of common Crataegus monogyna. It appears to be a standard practice by both English and American growers to increase production. Apparently it is possible to root cuttings but the yields may not be high enough for a commercial grower but hobbyists should keep the possibility in mind when considering propagation.

Mike