# Hawthorn
## **Introductions**

Some plants display immense powers while at the same time being of very gentle nature.

Hawthorn belongs to this group of plants. It is also one of the greatest protector plants associated with magical beings. Hawthorn is a wonderfully harmonising, nourishing and healing plant friend whose effects are brought to the point with the following German saying: „Der Weißdorn, das weiß jedes Kind, stärkt Herz und Nerven ganz geschwind“. (*Hawthorn, as every child knows, strengthens heart n nerves in potent blows*).


### **Scientific name and origin**
*Crataegus spp.* Family: Rosaceae

### **What to call you?**
**German:** Weißdorn, Christdorn, Hagapfel, Hagedorn, Hagewiepkes, Heckendorn, Heinzelmännerchen, Mehlbaum, Mehlbeere, Mehldorn, Mehlfässchen, Müllerbrot, Weißheckdorn, Wibelken, Wubbelken, Wyßdorn, Zaundorn
**Blackfoot:** Í’kaasi’míín
**Chinese:** 山楂

### **What can I learn about your lands, people and stories?**
I cannot recall Hawthorn being a prominent companion in my childhood days, but I do clearly remember when Hawthorn moved into my life or better I into theirs. A decade ago, I moved into the house I still call my home. Hawthorn lived here with me in the backyard. A small winding tree, it weathered the strong Chinook winds of the spring and fall seasons, the intense heat of summer and the bitter cold winters standing there proud with shiny orange-brown bark on the knoted and fissured trunk. Its amazing powers became also evident through the fast growth of its branches, which were reaching high and higher into the sky with every year that went by. There were also long thorns on those branches, which well fortified the small tree, yet didn't diminish its exceedingly friendly character, displayed in the spring through its sweet smelling creamy white flowers which turned into pink over time and finally ripened into thick groups of small red haws.

Now the only thing remaining is this pervasive feeling of sadness which comes up within me every time that remember the dreadful day that a rotting Ash tree branch fell onto "my" Hawthorn garden mate, thus ending its life and my dreams of a long relationship prematurely.

Somehow, this event has knocked the importance of hawthorn trees in into me though because from then on, I keep looking for its relatives wherever I go. I have been building relationships with Hawthorn trees close to me and far since. I've watched some of those trees grow over many seasons and gotten to enjoy more of their reliably rich harvests.

Just this year, I have been introduced to the tantalising red berry hawthorn stands on the Kainai (Blood) reserve, the few hesitant bushes in the river botton of my town, and the seemingly endless and tall hedgerows near my friend's lodging on Vancouver Island. I also found the delicious Hawthorn treats in a local Chinese supermarket which brought back memories from moments in China, where Hawthorn products were offered to me in the forms of sweets and tea. The closer my relationships have become, the more I have experimented with herbal Hawthorn creations.

As it turns out, tinctures have long become beloved staples with friends and family, especially those experiencing weak heart conditions, loss or heartbreak. My favourite concoction this year was a beautifully red-glowing oxymel I left in my kitchen window because my eyes so greatly enjoyed the brave dash of colour every time I entered this space. For the weeks, that I saw it on the kitchen windowsill, I felt my spirit lifting. I have now strained it and keep it cool in the fridge like a treasure I don't dare open for the fear of it loosing its magical powers. I know I should taste that oxymel soon since it won't keep forever, but I have been hesitant so far because I don't know if the pleasure in vision will match the pleasure in taste.

Instead, I've kept returning to two younger trees in my neighbourhood where in this unseasonably warm weather this year, the fruits are still hanging ripe and tasty for nibbles every 3 or 4 days. I don't know how it is that I didn't notice these two trees in the last year, but this spring their bloom initiated my strong interest in learning more about them.

If I go by what I have experienced in the last few years, it seems that Hawthorn has a special ability to draw itself into human hearts. Once they put deep grooves into your innermost parts, they will continue to work their magic within you from then on.

They have clearly gotten entangled with my life. As I learn more about them - here and in my ancestral homelands, I notice their great diversity and understand that its a highly revered plant in many cultures alike. Here in the Blackfoot lands, the native varieties are more fortified it seems, with dangerously long thorns. Black and Red Berry Hawthorns are the species I have noticed here so far in addition to the two common tree cultivars Toba and Snowbird Hawthorn. I am not sure about the origin of the friendly couple of trees in my neighbourhood. Their berries are much larger and their flavour more distinct than the other local varieties, which is why I want to start seeding them out this winter to see if I can possibly plant a seedling out into my garden next year. The spot where the abovementioned Hawthorn friend lost its life a few years ago is still waiting to host a new tree. If I succeed in starting the seeds, the decision is made what kind of tree will be living there soon.

This thought gives me joy while also instilling a sense of anticipation within me of what it will feel like to experience Hawthorn's beauty and mystery all over again as its silhouette expands in my garden.

**Magisches zum Weißdorn**

Many magical stories are entwined around Hawthorn. In my own Germanic and West Slavic traditions, Hawthorn is considered an ancient protector plant who growing in thickets and hedgerows around house and home is supposed to ward off ill and evil. Many of their German names indicate these special powers: *Hagapfel, Hagedorn, Hagewiepkes, Heckendorn, Heinzelmännerchen* - all indicate shelter and protection through thorns, thick growth and the innate magic of the branches.

German-American ethnobotanist Wolf-Dieter Storl (2014, p. 171) shares how thick hedgerows used to separate cultivated land from forested wildnerness where people did only marginally interfere. For the first grain growers in the early stone age the thicket represented a desirable border between the protected and maintained areas and the realm where wild animals, forest spirits and demons roamed freely. Owing to the belief that illnesses and all kind of evil interference gets stuck in the thorny barriers, people felt safe enough to sleep free of worry and fear behind their green barriers. That is why Hawthorn is also sometimes known by its surname - *Little Sleeping Tree*.

This is where folklore comes in. In fairly tales like the Sleeping Beauty thorny thickets are associated with deep slumber as is for instance the case with the main character Dornröschen, who after pricking herself with a spindel made of Hawthorn wood falls into a deep state of stupor that's only ended a hundred-years later when a fine nobleman finds her and sets her free with a kiss.

Those able to walk confidently in between the organised and natural environments - such as frequent cross-border commuters, hunters and old women folks were regarded as magically charged. The old women, for instance, no longer tasked with daily burdens in the home were free to gather nececssary healing herbs and firewood in the environments beneath the hedgerows. Positioned in-between worlds they were known as *Zaunreiterinnen oder Hag-Sitzerinnen* (those sitting on fences or the haws). The old German word *Hagazussa* eventually evolved into the word *Hexe* (witch), which is Hawthorn can be seen as a tree of shamans and witches according to Storl. Fliegende Hexen (flying witches), so he tells us, were taking breaks on Hawthorn hedges and nibbling away on buds while doing so.

People took some of the lessons of folklore to heart and applied it to their life, by for instance adding red Hawthorn berries to babies in their crip to keep them safe until the day of their naming or baptisation. Wealthier people even had baby crates made of hard Hawthorn wood to tend to their newborns's safety that way.

It is said that when you carry Hawthorn berries with you, they will alleviate your anxiety and calm your nerves. You can carry them close to your heart in a small pouch or around your neck strung into a necklace. When you are seeking even more wholesome protection, consider carrying a small piece of their wood with you.

**Siksikaiksáahko:**
[Í’kaasi’míín](https://galileo.org/kainai/fireberry-hawthorn/)

Í’kaasi’míín iikaikottskiisaissksiimokoyi niipistsi. Iitowapistsiskitsi mo Aapistsiskitsaato’si ki Iisamssootamstaa. Mo niipoyi pisatssaiskiistsi iitaomaohksiiniiwa’siiyaw.

Kitommahkitpiiminnooniksi ihtaiskssimayaw to’kskaistsi ki mo isstoyiis nohkotsitaoyiiyaw ki niistsi aistamiowatoomiaw aiaitsisaa. Omistsii isskssiipistsi miinistsi awakohsi’pia iitohtaisaipiohsatsoohso’p ki iikatsitapssokia’pi mosskitsipaahpiyohtohkohsiistsi.

### **How to identify you?**
As it turns out, this plant group displays great variation with up to a hundred species in Northern America alone. They comprise a very large genus of small trees and coarse shrubs distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone. In Canada, there are about 30 species with most of them occuring from Southern Ontario to the Atlantic.

In Germany, the most common types are in bush form who can grow to become up to 300 years old. Typical for all Crataegus species are their creamy flowers in the spring followed by the red mealy berries in the fall.

Crataegus species are shrubs or small trees, mostly growing to 5–15 m (15–50 ft) tall, with small pome fruit and (usually) thorny branches. The most common type of bark is smooth grey in young individuals, developing shallow longitudinal fissures with narrow ridges in older trees. Named after the month in which it blooms and a sign that spring is turning to summer. The pale green leaves of this hedgerow staple are often the first to appear in spring, with an explosion of pretty pale-pink blossom in May. It simply teems with wildlife from bugs to birds.

Hawthorns are hermaphrodite, meaning both male and female reproductive parts are contained within each flower. Flowers are highly scented, white or occasionally pink with five petals, and grow in flat-topped clusters. The flowers turn into deep-red fruits known as ‘haw once pollinated by insects. The leaves are round 6cm in length and comprised of toothed lobes, which cut at least halfway to the middle or 'mid-rib'. They turn yellow before falling in autumn.

The Fireberry Hawthorn has dark green leaves with jagged edges. It bursts into flower in May and June, producing clusters of little white 5-petalled flowers. Those flowers change into round red berries filled with seeds later in the summer. It grows in open woodland, coulees and at the edge of poplar groves. It needs to be in a place with a good amount of moisture.

### **How do you taste and feel?**
* cool - warm; sweet - sour
* relaxing on psyche in stressful times
* the berries are sour, sometimes also slightly sweet and almost always somewhat mealy to the tongue

### **What organs do you work on?**
heart, spleen, stomach and liver

### **What parts do you offer for use?**
Flowers (harvest on dry sunny morning in spring), leaves (at all times before fall), fruit (late summer to fall/ winter), bark (winter), living plant (all year round)

### **What were/are your culinary uses and medical application in the past/today?**

Herbal traditions tell us of Hawthorns great properties beneficial to the stomach and the heart. It balances both low and high blood pressure, as well as it strenghtens and harmonises hearts frail from old age, overexertion, tension and other forms of stress, all without any of the side effects assiociated with Western heart medications.

Physical heart troubles so familiar to many in our world today weren't known to my Western ancestors before the industrial revolution. They were of course familiar with less literal heart ache and sorrow, but not the depletion and physical weakness that comes with living in a society that regards humans merely through an economic lens of productivity and therefore trains us to disconnect from bodily needs of rest and relaxation. It seems that Hawthorn started to more clearly communicate its heart tonic properties as we increasingly lost connection to ourselves and the land.

In Indigenous cultures, Hawthorn has always been used for different physical ailments, but Hawthorn did not enter established medical institutions until a certain Dr. Green of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland, started to use it and have great success with patients with heart ailments. This Victorian era doctor was secretive about his methods, never revealing the ingredients of his cures for “dropsy” (edema), “flux of humor” (circulation problems), heart weakness in aging, and the like. When he died, his daughter revealed that his protocol consisted largely of administering tinctures of the ripe berries of the very common Hawthorn tree.

It is in our hearts that we carry the sacred, not in our heads. When our relationship to life is impaired - that's when we loose the centre within ourselves and heart problems set in. Living in good relation with a Hawthorn tree/ shrub can help us find our heart centre again, heal physical and spiritual heart issues. It can also enable a spiritually more enlightend life, where we more fully appreciate the immense versatility and beauty of life within and outside of us.

In Western medicine, this plant is used primarily as a cardiac tonic and has a tremendous reputation for success in this area. It is considered valuable for cardiac weakness, valvular murmurs, sighing respiration, nerve depression or neurasthenia, mitral regurgitation, cardiac pain, rapid or feeble heart and heartstrain due to overexertion.

In Germanic/ West Slavic traditions, for instance it is recommended to prepare leaves and flowers in tea or soups to strenghten and nourish the heart after the stresses of a viral infection such as flu or cold. Hawthorn increases blood circulation to coronary vessels thus allowing more oxygen to travel to the heart.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the range of applications is broader and includes the strengthening of the stomach and aiding digestion, the promotion of the movement of qi to relieve pain, and the activation of blood circulation. the most common TCM application is to alleviate indigestion. The first recommendation for people suffering from overeating, abdominal bloating or constipation with abdominal pain is to first try eating Hawthorn berries for relief before using other types of medication.

The Chinese Hawthorn berry is, bright red and resemble small crab apples, which are used in many kinds of delicious snacks, jams, jellies, juices, and alcoholic beverages.

Hawthorn is beneficial for women after childbirth if they experience pain in the lower abdomen, too much discharge, or painful menstruation. Women with menstrual cramps along with needlelike pain or blood clots also benefit from eating Hawthorn berries. Clinically, Hawthorn Berry can be combined with other types of Chinese herbs to treat uterine and over variants cysts.

One doesn't need to be sick to enjoy Hawthorns heart strenghtening properties. On the contrary, it can be consumed proactively and over long periods of time in any of the following forms of preparations:

* Food: soup, snack
* Tea and decoction
* Tincture, liquor and wine
* Juice
* Oxymel
* Capsules

**1. Tea**

**Option 1:** Boil 250ml of water. Prepare 5g of Chrysanthemum flower, 10g of hawthorn berries, and 5g Chinese honeysuckle in a large cup. Pour the boiling water over the ingredients, cover with a lid and let brew 10 minutes before consumption. This tea is very good to reduce high cholesterol and high blood pressure in the early stages.

**Option 2:** Grind 10g hawthorn berry and 10g green tea leaves into a powder. Make into tea, adding 2g to a couple of hot water. Drink 1 to 2 times per day to ease bloating in the stomach.

**Option 3:** Boil water and pour over a heaped tea spoon on leaves, flowers and berries. Can be drunk for prolonged periods of time without any side effects.

Can be combined with Yarrow

The Blackfoot elders use the local hawthorn berries for food when they are ripe and ready. They eat them fresh or dry them for the winter. The branches are used as “camas sticks” to dig up camas bulbs for food. You can take the dried berries, add some water and then boil them to make a mild laxative. This tea is good for heart troubles.

**Soup**
Boil 60g fresh or 30g dried hawthorn berries, 20g of dolichos seeds (pre-soaked for 20 minutes), and 300-500ml of water depending on desired consistency. Cook for 20 minutes. This soup is good for preventing indigestion, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.

**Snack**
Dried hawthorn can be eaten with banana to reduce constipation. They are also a most delicious snack enjoyed with green tea or warm water.
**Tea**
1-2 tsp. Dried berries, steep in 1 cup hot water 1 hour. Take 3 cups/day. Berries can also be decocted.
1-2 tsp. Dried leaves or flowers,, steep 15-30 minutes in a cup of hot water. Take 3 cups/day.
**Tincture**
Fresh Flowers and Leaves, or Berry 1:2 (70-95% Alcohol, 10% glycerin) Dried Flowers and Leaves, or Berry 1:5 (35-60% alcohol, 10% vegetable glycerin)
David Winston makes a tincture with 50% berries, 25% flowers, and 25% leaf, which he believes to be superior to the berries alone.
Dose: 3-5ml (60-100 drops) up to 4x/day.

### **Sustainability**

### **How to grow/ tend to you?**

## **Going deeper**

### **Herbal actions:**
trophorestorative: cardiotonic, cardioprotective, antioxidant, astringent, hypotensive, antiarrhythmic

### **Therapeutic actions:**
Cardiac, diuretic, astringent, tonic.

#### Primary Uses
**Cardiovascular** - our most beloved herb for the heart. Used for many forms of mild to moderate heart disease (myocarditis, irregular heart beat, atrial fibrillation, palpitations, angina, etc.). Numerous studies confirm clear benefits for mild to moderate heart failure, and generally to support an aging heart.

**Blood Pressure** - aids in treating mild to moderate hypertension, and helps maintain a healthy heart in the presence of high blood pressure.
Ahterosclerosis and Arteriosclerosis - potent antioxidant, protects against plaque formation and decreases the size of existing plaques. Also, lowers LDL cholesterol.

**Circulation** - improves circulation and increases oxygen and nutrient delivery to the tissues.

**Nervous System** - Hawthorn is also a medicine for the emotional heart, particularly for grief, intense sadness, PTSD, or stagnant depression. Combines well with Rose here.

**Muskuloskeletal** - Supports collagen formation and healthy connective tissue. It can be used in a protocol of inflammatory connective tissue disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

#### Secondary Uses
Antispasmodic, Antioxidant and antiinflammatory actions offer some benefit for asthma and allergies
Mild diuretic
Hawthorn makes the hottest fire of all known wood fuels.

### **Spirit Actions:**

## **What do practitioners say about you?**

**Indications:** cardiac failure, myocardial weakness, paroxysmal tachycardia, extrasystole, cardiac angina, hypertension, atherosclerosis, chronic nephritis

The renowned Canadian Clinical Herbalist, Abrah Arneson, likens Hawthorn's strengthening powers to that of a reptile moving at a steady but slow pace when she says that:
> *when Hawthorn is added to a high blood pressure formula, do not expect immediate results from it alone. Hawthorn is a long-term her with long-term gentle effects. Mistletoe is a much more efficient her following blood pressure. The addition of a small amount of mistletoe tincture to the formula is usually enough to bring most cases of high blood pressure down. (If mistletoe does not work, try Valerian). But do not underestimate the long-term effects of Hawthorn. I think of the story of the rabbit and the tortoise when I compare the two herbs. Mistletoe is the rabbit. It brings instantaneous results. Hawthorn is the tortoise. The tortoise did not "wow" audiences with his speed, but he not only won the race, he also lived for another 225 years.*

> *Lastly, Hawthorn berries are high in flavonoids and offer up a sour taste. Recall that the sour taste is cooling in nature. Hawthorn berries are very specific when there is heat around the heart or congestion of blood in the heart. You can know this by looking at the tongue. The very tip of the tongue represents the heart. If the tip is bright red, try adding Hawthorn to the client's formula."* (2014, p.139-140)

Hawthorn is used to improve coronary circulation, increasing blood flow and relieving the angina associated with ischemic conditions. It is long-term remedy however, and rather than exerting the rapid inotropic effect of the digitaloides, Hawthorn gradually improves degenerative changes to the heart muscle by nutrient means and activating energy reserves. It is recommended to take Hawthorn preparations for at least 3 months to notice its full nourishing and blood-toning effects.

Hawthorn also has a beneficial effect upon cardiac arrhythmia, tachycardia and extrasystole, used as a more or less symptomatic remedy that should begin to exert its effects with 20-30 minutes after oral administration. Based on these observations, Hawthorn is indicated for use in aged, “senile hearts,” in any weakness of the myocardium after infectious diseases (e.g. pneumonia, influenza), in cardiac arrhythmia, and in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis.

Hawthorn, is also indicated when shortness of breath, mitral regurgitation, and anemia are indications, as well as heart-strain, due to over-exertion or accompanying nervous explosions.

As mentioned earlier, but a less known effect to many is the ability of Hawthorm to improve sleep.

### **Composition and pharmacology**

As with all Prunus plants, Hawthorn contains amygdalin. It also contains crategolic acid, the alkaloid crataegin, a mixture of saponins, triterpene acid (i.e., oleanolic, ursolic), purine and flavonoid glycosides. Noteworthy are also the vitamin C, essential oils, fructose, and minerals such as potassium, sodium and calcium. Recent research affirms what traditional plant practitioners knew all along - that Hawthorn can strengthen the immune system, improve digestion, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, increase blood circulation to the heart, and contract the uterus. It also has anti-cancer, anti-inflammation and antioxidant properties.

#### Key constituents
Flavonoids - antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) - antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
Note: While the ripe berries are traditional, flavonoid levels are highest in flowers, and OPCs are highest in unripe berries and spring leaves as flowers bloom. Overall, concentrations are higher in flowers and leaves than berries.

### **Safety**
Chinese medicine practitioners caution us that people who have stomach ulcers or high levels of stomach acid should avoid hawthorn berries or only consume with caution. If you suffer from weakness of your stomach and digestive system or from diarrhoea, you should also consume with care. Although rarely heard of, an overdose can cause cardiac arrythmia and dangerously lower blood pressure. Milder side-effects include nausea and sedation.

Use cautiously with cardiac medications. It may potentiate beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and/or affect digitalis derived drugs. At the same time, several studies have found no problems with coadministration of these medications. Drug doses may need to be modified. Seek the care of a health practitioner before combining Hawthorn with these medications.
The leaf & bark may cause gastric irritation due to the tannin content.

### **Interactions and contra-indications**
unknown

## **References**

Arneson, A. (2014). The Herbal Apprentice: Plant Medicine and The Human Body (1st edition). Green Heart Press.

Hope TV – Kleine Kräuterkunde (Director). (2019, August 28). Kleine Kräuterkunde: Weißdorn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp4MLQZcasI

LunaHerbs (Director). (2022, September 23). Weißdorn eine unserer wichtigsten Herzpflanzen erkennen und richtig anwenden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qhgHzx-piA

Maier, K. (2021). Energetic Herbalism. A Guide to Sacred Plant Trditions Integrating Elements of Vitalism, Ayurveda, and Chinese Medicine. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Willard, D. T., & McCormick, J. (2003). Edible And Medicinal Plants of the Rocky Mountains and Neighbouring Territories (First Edition). Wild Rose College of Natural Healing.

Wolf-Dieter Storl (Director). (2020, September 10). Der Weißdorn—Das wichtigste Herzmittel der Natur. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5qhmVIROa4