“While the ploughman near at hand
Whistles o’er the furrow’d land,
And the milkmaid singeth blithe,
And the mower whets his scythe,
And every shepherd tells his tale
Under the hawthorn in the dale”
– John Milton
The Flower of the Heart
Other names: May tree, bread and cheese tree, moonflower, tramp’s supper, whitethorn
Parts used: Leaves, berries, flowers
This delightful member of the rose (Roseaceae) family is a handsome perennial shrub or small deciduous tree found in the temperate areas of North America and Europe. It is much loved for its wonderful display of fragrant white-pink blossoms that decorate our hedgerows in spring as a herald to summer and its bright red haws that brighten them in autumn. The smaller branches are thorny, in fact the name hawthorn means ‘hedge thorn.’ Hawthorn is common throughout the British Isles and was apparently brought here by Joseph of Arimathea when he came to Glastonbury in 60AD. He stuck his hawthorn staff into the ground where it is said to have grown and flowered.
Hawthorn has traditionally been connected with Mayday customs and ancient fertility rites in the Northern hemisphere where it blooms in May (the ‘breeding season’). Mayday began as an ancient spring festival named after the Greek goddess Maia. The girl crowned Queen of the May represented the ancient goddess,
“The Fair maid who the first of May,
Goes to the fields at break of day,
And walks in dew from the Hawthorn tree,
Will ever handsome be”.
The maypole ceremony symbolises fertility and rebirth, as spring is a time of renewed life after the apparent death of winter. The maypole represented an ‘axis mundi’ around which the universe revolves; the tree stripped of its changing foliage symbolises the changeless centre. The maypole is phallic, the discus at the top from which the ribbons hang represents the feminine principle and the union of the two represents fertility. At this time of year in many places in Europe, hawthorns used to be placed outside the house or the home of a sweetheart and branches decorated the porches.
Hawthorn has been associated with fertility since the days of the ancient Greeks and Romans. At Greek wedding banquets the guests would carry sprigs of hawthorn to symbolise happiness and prosperity for the bride and groom. The bride was sometimes given a sprig of hawthorn to represent her flowery future, intermingled with thorns. In Roman traditions, the bridegroom used to wave a sprig as he led his bride to the nuptial chamber, which was lit with torches of hawthorn wood.
Traditionally hawthorn has been held as sacred and as protection against evil. Hawthorn twigs used to be fixed to babies’ cradles to protect against harmful influences and illness. When worn or carried, hawthorn was believed to give psychic protection, to lift the spirits and banish melancholy but was never to be brought indoors. Under the hawthorn tree was believed to be a meeting place of spirits and faeries, and sitting under a tree on Mayday, Midsummer’s day or Halloween, one could apparently be enchanted by faery folk.
With the coming of Christianity, the church re-dedicated the hawthorn, like other sacred trees, to the Virgin Mary. It was said that hawthorn was used for Christ’s crown of thorns and because of this it was believed for centuries that lightening would never strike a hawthorn tree, as lightening was the work of the devil and could not strike a plant that had touched the brow of Christ. The robin is said to have got his red breast from a thorn in Jesus’ crown that pierced his breast and left a little blood stain.
Almost all parts of hawthorn have been used as medicines since at least the Middle Ages. The leaves, flowers and berries were recommended for heart problems, high blood pressure, vertigo, gout, pleurisy, insomnia and to stop haemorrhages. The bark was made into a decoction to bring down fevers and the berries made an excellent remedy for diarrhoea.
Herbal Remedy
Hawthorn is veritably the best rejuvenative remedy for the heart and circulation. It contains saponins, glycosides, polysaccharides, flavonoids, procyanidins, glycosides, saponins, triterpenoids, tannins, pectin, vitamins C, B1, B2, choline, acetylcholine and calcium. The flowers, leaves and berries all provide a wonderful heart tonic and have a vasodilatory effect, opening the arteries and improving blood flow through the coronary arteries of the heart and the general circulation. Hawthorn makes an excellent remedy for high blood pressure and probably by virtue its antioxidant activity, it reduces inflammation in the blood vessels. It has the remarkable ability to prevent, soften and clear the build-up of deposits in the arteries that cause atherosclerosis, angina and eventually heart attacks and strokes. In this way hawthorn improves the blood supply throughout the body and is ideal for the treatment of high blood pressure associated with hardening of the arteries and for preventing clots and heart attacks. It lowers cholesterol, strengthens heart muscle and regulates heart rhythm. It has further benefit to the heart in its action on the vagus nerve which influences the heart, so that an over-fast heart rate is slowed and heart irregularities settle down.
Hawthorn makes the ideal remedy for all heart conditions, including coronary insufficiency, arrhythmias, palpitations, breathlessness, angina, degenerative heart disease and heart failure. As a peripheral vasodilator, it is can be used to improve poor circulation associated with the ageing process such as Raynaud’s and Burgher’s disease, intermittent claudication and varicose veins. It is recommended for an ageing heart, confusion and poor memory due to reduced blood supply to the brain. It is also used for altitude sickness and anaemia. Hawthorn’s antioxidant and rejuvenative effect extends as far as the eyes and it can be helpful in protecting against eye problems associated with the ageing process including macular degeneration.
As a heart tonic, hawthorn benefits the emotional as well as the physical heart. It is used for heartache, when down-hearted, disheartened and broken-hearted. With its relaxant effect, hawthorn can be used to relieve anxiety and stress, calm agitation, restlessness, nervous palpitations and promote sleep. It is recommended in attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
Hawthorn has a mild diuretic action, relieving fluid retention and dissolving stones and gravel.
It benefits the linings of the joints, the synovial fluid, collagen, ligaments and vertebral discs. Its antioxidant effect helps prevent and remedy inflammatory connective tissue disorders such as arthritis, gout and tendonitis.
The leaves, flowers and berries all have a beneficial and relaxant effect in the digestive tract. They stimulate the appetite, promote digestion, and relieve wind and stagnation of food and accumulation of toxins in the gut causing indigestion and disturbance of the gut flora. The berries are nutritive, but they also help regulate metabolism and have been used to reduce weight. They have an astringent effect and make a good remedy for diarrhoea. In Russia they are used for amoebic dysentery.
By regulating blood flow throughout the body, hawthorn improves the circulation to the uterus and so can be beneficial for painful and absent periods. It also promotes libido and fertility and is used in threatened miscarriage. It is also beneficial during menopause for reducing night sweats and hot flushes.
Externally a decoction of the flowers and berries can be used as a lotion for skin problems, notably acne rosacea. A decoction of the berries has an astringent action, making a good mouthwash for bleeding gums, a gargle for sore throats and a douche for vaginal discharges.
Flower Essence
On an emotional level hawthorn works on the heart chakra, opening the heart and working on the expression of love. It can be used when there are any problems both giving and receiving love. It is a remedy recommended to heal broken hearts, and to ease disappointment, anger or bitterness after a failed love affair. It reduces emotional extremes which could contribute to physical illness such as heart disease.
Edible Uses
The leaves and flowers were known as ‘bread and cheese’ by our parents and grandparents – you can roam the hedgerows and eat the flowers as go along. They can be used to decorate salads and desserts. The berries are also tasty – some say they taste of avocado and they certainly have their texture but are fiddly to eat. Being high in pectin, they make a good addition to hedgerow jams and jellies made from autumn fruits.
The fresh pulp can be pressed through a sieve and make an interesting addition to savoury dishes, and is useful for thickening soups, stews and sauces. Hawthorn ketchup could be made combining the fresh pulp with vinegar, spices and a little sugar and you could added some tomato puree.
Growing
When buying a hawthorn tree make sure it has thick roots that are free and not pot bound. Plant out in spring after the last frost. It prefers light, sandy soil. Hawthorn trees can live for over 400 years and can grow 18-25 ft in height and with a 15-29 ft spread. The flowers and leaves are harvested in the spring when the flowers have just bloomed and the berries are harvested in the autumn. Be careful of the thorns!
Cautions
Although hawthorn is considered safe and may be effective in the treatment of angina, congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias, these are serious, potentially life-threatening conditions requiring professional medical care. Avoid hawthorn as a herbal remedy in bleeding disorders. Hawthorn may potentiate the effects of heart drugs including Digoxin and beta blockers. Monitor blood pressure when combined with hypotensives. Caution with anticoagulants, CNS depressants (such as alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines, anaesthetics, tricyclic anti-depressants, anti-epileptics), insulin, oral hypoglycaemics and vasodilators.
