Latin: Crataegus monogyna / laevigata / oxyacantha
Also Known As: May, Bread and Cheese, Hagthorn, Moon Flower, Whitethorn, Quickthorn, May Tree, Mayblossom, Ladies' Meat, Gaxels, Halves, Huath, May Bush, Mayflower, Tree of Chastity and Quickset. The berries are known as Haws, Chucky Cheese, Cuckoo's Beads and Pixie Pears.
Family: Rosaceae
Habitat and Description: Hawthorn is a familiar sight growing alongside paths and near rivers, as well as being widely used as a hedging plant in the countryside. It can often grow to 30 feet tall. From the end of April onwards it has clusters of beautiful five petaled white flowers with a musky odour which people either love or hate. The tree seems to prefer to grow near people, as well as providing food and shelter for many birds, small mammals and insects, making it an essential part of hedgerows. The leaves are deeply divided into toothed lobes, which are bright green when just out of bud but become shiny green on top and grey-green below once mature. The fruit is initially green in colour but gradually turns a rich, intense red. It is best gathered after a frost. The berries have either one or two seeds depending on which species of Hawthorn it is (C.monogyna has one seed, C.oxycantha has two). The tree can live to over 400 years old, and hawthorn remains found in megalithic tombs show that the tree was widespread around Britain before 6000 BCE.
Parts Used: Leaves and flowering tops, berries
Constituents: Hawthorn contains Flavonoids including rutin, Procyanidins and catechins, Phenolic acids including caffeic acid, Amines, and Triterpenes based on ursolic acid and oleanolic acid. The presence of rutin would seem to account at least in part for the herb's beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. C.monogyna has a higher level of flavonoids and hyperoside than the leaves of C.laevigata, although both varieties contain the oligomeric procyanidins responsible for the cardio protective properties of the plant. Apparently rutin, bioflavonoids and trimethylamine are only found in the flowers, whereas the berries have tannins, ascorbic acid, saponins and procyanidins. flavonoidA chemical that gives a substance its flavour
Planetary Influence: Mars
Associated Deities and Heroes: Hawthorn is sacred to Blodeuwedd, Cardea, Creiddylad, Fairies, Flora, Hymen, Olwen and Thor, to which can also be added Govannon, Vulcan, Hephaestus, Mars and Hera.
Festival: Beltane / Beltaine
Constitution: Cool and dry in the first degree – most authors seem to agree that the plant is slightly sour and cooling but is only gently refrigerant rather than being excessively cold.
Actions and Indications: Hawthorn is primarily known as a heart and cardiovascular tonic.
The flowers, leaves and berries all have vasodilatory properties, improving blood supply around the body. It is an excellent herb to use to treat high blood pressure when this is related to hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis) as it helps to dissolve the fatty deposits that cause the problem. In addition to this, it can be used to treat poor memory and confusion when this is caused by inadequate blood supply to the brain.
In addition to the above properties, it can be used to treat angina, cardiac failure and conditions such as Raynaud's phenomenon, as well as to treat tachycardia and thrombosis and venous problems such as intermittent claudication. It can be used to prolong exercise duration and has been taken by sportsmen to sustain the heart during maximum physical effort – it combines very nicely with Yarrow and Eleuthero for this purpose, as I have found out myself through experience. Hawthorn can be used to treat nervous palpitations as well as acting as an antioxidant, and can help alcohol abuse related damage to the heart.
In addition to its well known cardiovascular uses, Hawthorn can be used to promote digestive function and to dissolve deposits and help weight loss. This is possibly due to its positive action on the heart and circulatory system, allowing optimum heart function and improved circulation. It can also be used to treat oedema, in particular that relating to impaired heart function, as it is slightly diuretic as well as cardio protective.
The leaf and flower tops can be used to ease anxiety and act as a gentle sedative, especially good for bad dreams, insomnia and menstrual related mood swings. It can be helpful for children struggling with ADHD and related disorders.
The bark can apparently be used as a febrifuge, to lower fevers. Traditional Chinese medicine uses Hawthorn to improve sluggish digestion, especially where this relates to fats and meats. Hawthorn is cooling, soothing and restorative, and can be used to help those who suffer from diarrhoea and overheated digestive tracts.
Spiritual and Energetic Uses: Hawthorn works on the heart chakra, and is especially good for those who are filled with anger and as a result find it hard to express love for others. I think this can be extended to include those who find it hard to feel love and compassion for themselves as well as others as these two things often go hand in hand. It can be used for those embittered after a failed love affair, as well as for those who experience blocks to giving and receiving love. Hawthorn can be used to protect on many levels. It can be used to help those facing a 'dark night of the soul' in the form of bad memories, depression, deep rooted fear or anger which are difficult to deal with, as well as providing the 'silver lining' of the ability to rest and regain strength after such an incident. Hawthorn is 'heartening', in all senses of the word!
Hawthorn is calming and soothing, allowing the body to release tension and irritability and making it possible to rest in order for healing to take place. As Hawthorn is a balancing herb, it brings a sense of stability and comfort, a safe place from which to open our heart and feel emotions fully without allowing ourselves to be knocked off balance by them. Hawthorn cleanses the heart of negativity and restores the ability to hope, trust and forgive, making it an excellent herb for those who feel that they have been battered and beaten by life.
After a recent experience, I feel I can also add one more use to this list. Hawthorn is particularly good for those whose anger and aggression is due to tightly repressed fear – allowing the person to feel safe within themselves and to release the aggression in a more appropriate, less damaging way, and in time to allow themselves to feel their emotions freely. I found this useful during a recent sports injury where the forced inactivity was causing problems – hawthorn helped me to slow down and take it all in good spirit rather than feel angry and frustrated at my immobility.
Magical Uses: The berries can be burned as an incense to encourage dynamism in your life. It can be used to build courage to develop initiatives and bring clarity and insight to problems. A meditation performed whilst using Hawthorn berry incense can allow clearer judgment and permit problems to be viewed from the heart, with love and compassion and without bias.
A tea made from the flowers can encourage sight into Faerie and contact with otherworldly beings. A hawthorn hedge is excellent psychic protection.
Hawthorn is used to increase fertility and also, rather oddly, to enforce or maintain chastity. It protects against lightning, can be used for fishing magic, to encourage a good catch, and can also be worn in a pouch by those who are troubled, depressed or sad in order to bring happiness. The tree is sacred to the fairies and is part of the tree fairy triad of Oak, Ash and Thorn – where all three grow together, it is said that it is possible to see fairies.
Folklore: There is a wide body of folklore surrounding the Hawthorn tree, dating back thousands of years. As it has traditionally always flowered around Beltane, throughout the month of May, it is associated with lust, fertility and sexuality, and has always been connected to the Goddess in Her guise as Maiden. This is particularly interesting given that this plant is often thought to be masculine in energy.
As previously mentioned, Hawthorn is a tree of Faery, and is one of the triad associated with the Fair Folk – Oak, Ash and Thorn. To cut a branch from the Hawthorn without asking the permission of the Fair Folk was said to bring great danger and ill fortune. Hawthorn is associated with witches, who are said to be able to turn themselves into Hawthorn trees at will – this bears some resemblance to the similar legend attached to Elder (Sambucus nigra), not too surprising given that Elder and Hawthorn growing together was considered to be nearly as powerful as the Faery Triad.
There is a longstanding belief that to bring Hawthorn into the house is extremely unlucky unless this is done on Beltane, when cutting and bringing a branch of flowering Hawthorn indoors is considered to bring the Goddess' blessing on the inhabitants of the house. Hawthorn was traditionally used to adorn the Maypole as part of the Beltane festivities.
One of the earliest Goddesses associated with Hawthorn was Olwen, also known as 'She of the White Track' – as wherever she stepped, Hawthorn sprang up in her tracks. This is certainly represented well by the Hawthorn hedges that resemble white paths through fields when the tree is flowering.
May brandy made from hawthorn flowers is better than the best cherry brandy – this is borne out by a number of authors, although many of them cite the use of Hawthorn berries in the recipe instead of flowers. Hawthorn flowers certainly make a delightful wine!
Hawthorn wood is fine grained and hard, and is ideal when used for small items such as knife handles. The wood burns readily, and produces great heat, apparently hot enough to melt iron when used in charcoal form.
Finally, there is of course the old legend of Joseph of Arimathea planting his Hawthorn staff in the soil on Glastonbury Tor, where it rooted and produced flowers at rather odd times of the year – not so unusual in light of the fact that Hawthorn has been known to flower twice a year. Sadly the original Glastonbury thorn was cut down by Cromwell's army as it was considered idolatry.
Dose: General dosage opinion is as follows:
Up to 3.5mgs of dried flower, leaf or berry as an infusion or decoction, three times per day.
Up to 6mls of 1:2 tincture per day (flowering tops or berry)
Up to 17.5mls 1:5 tincture per day (flowering tops or berry)
Higher doses than this may be required when treating hypertension. Hawthorn has a cumulative effect, and can be used safely for prolonged amounts of time.
Contraindications: Some authors state that Hawthorn should not be used by anyone suffering from low blood pressure as it will lower the blood pressure even further- however none of the other authors I have read seem to agree with this statement, with some of them even of the opinion that it can be used to raise low blood pressure, restoring heart to normal functioning. Hawthorn should not be used alongside any ACE inhibitors or beta blockers unless under the supervision of a qualified herbalist.