The Mugwort Chronicles

Hawthorne

Hawthorne-Crataegus spp –is a well-respected heart tonic, both for physical as well as emotional conditions of the heart.  A member of the rose family, Hawthorne can be found throughout North America and the northern hemisphere in Europe and Asia. These small thorny trees (shrubs), which can vary in size from 10 feet to 50 feet tall depending on the variety, produce lovely small white blossoms in the spring and small red fruits or ‘haws’ in the fall.  Used as both food and medicine for centuries, Hawthorne also has a long, rich folk history as well.

Both ancient Greeks and Romans included Hawthorne in wedding arrangements, associating it with happiness and hope- an emotional ‘heart’ connection.  The Roman goddess Cardea is said to have protected children at night by hanging a small branch of Hawthorn over their cradles [Kyle].   Also known as the Faerie Tree and May Tree, Hawthorne’s blossoms were used to decorate for May Day celebrations in England. One of the most well-known ships to sail to America, The Mayflower, was named after the Hawthorne tree.

Hawthorne fruit has been used to make jams, jellies, juices and alcoholic beverages in Europe and Asia. The tender young spring leaves are sometimes added to salads or to cooked dishes. Hawthorne flowers can also be used to make Flower Essences.

There are many varieties of Hawthorne growing here in North America, some bearing fruit earlier than others, but most can be used interchangeably. Although the berries are the part most often used medicinally, the leaves and flowers are also mildly tonic for the heart, having diuretic and blood pressure lowering effects. The leaves are astringent, the flowers are anti-inflammatory and the berries are mucilaginous containing flavonoids and rutin.  To make medicine, the leaves and flowers are harvested in the spring; the berries, in the fall, usually after the first frost.

Hawthorne is a cardiac ‘trophorestorative’-a slow-acting, nourishing botanical which needs to be taken over a long period of time before optimal benefits are seen-at least for three months.  Hawthorne can lower blood pressure, strengthen the heart, and help prevent heart disease and stroke. The German E commission recommends Hawthorne tea or tincture for many cardiac conditions [Weed].

A mixture of flowers, leaves and berries can be taken as a tea (usually 1 tablespoon per cup of water).  Leaf and flower can also be taken as a capsule. The berries are most often taken as a tincture-approximately 1 to 2 dropperfuls one to four times per day.  My favorite way to make Hawthorne tincture is to place the dried berries in a canning jar, adding enough raw honey to cover, then stirring well. After 8 hours, add enough Brandy to fill the jar approximately two inches above the berries and shake well. Add more Brandy (menstruum), as needed, to make certain the berries are always submerged or else molding can occur. Shake every day for one week, storing in a cool, dark area away from heat. After 8 weeks, strain well using a metal mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Store in a clean, tightly sealed canning jar, labeled well. Fill a tincture bottle to use as a dosing bottle to prevent constant exposure to air of your stock bottle.

I moved away from my home in Oregon which has a lovely Hawthorne tree planted in the back yard to commemorate my daughter’s birth. Sadly, I no longer have access to a Hawthorne tree to harvest berries for my tinctures, so I depend on purchased dried berries. Fresh berries are high in pectin and will produce a tincture which becomes somewhat ‘thick’ with time- drying them will help prevent this from happening.  I have also heard that freezing fresh berries first works well, but have never tried this.

Be aware that if you are taking prescription medications for heart or blood pressure conditions, Hawthorne can decrease your need for these medications. Be sure to inform your healthcare provider of any herbal products you are taking.  If you do not feel comfortable discussing this, I would strongly encourage you to find a provider with whom you can have an open dialogue about including botanicals as part of your wellness plan.

I had fairly stubborn high blood pressure for many years which was only partially responsive to pharmaceutical blood pressure medicine. Although I also made some additional life-style changes (improved my diet, began exercising and lost weight), it wasn’t until six months after I added Hawthorne tincture to my daily regimen that my blood pressure finally came down. In fact, my prescription medication dose needed to be halved as my blood pressure was too low.

As with any herbal formula, if you are pregnant do not take Hawthorne unless you first discuss it with your provider.

References:

Selina Kyle http://www.helium.com/items/1751848-folklore-hawthorn

Susun Weed http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/November08/healingwise.htm

Resources:

Australasian College of Health Sciences, Portland OR:

http://files.achs.edu/mediabank/files/hawthornherb.pdf

 

Herbal Transitions:

http://www.herbaltransitions.com/materiamedica/Crataegus.htm

 

Mountain Rose Herbs:

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/hawthorn_berry.php

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/hawthorn_leaf.php

 

The Obscure Goddess On-Line Directory:

http://thaliatook.com/OGOD/cardea.html

 

The White Dragon:

http://whitedragon.org.uk/articles/hawthorn.htm

 

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crataegus

 

This information is offered for educational purposes and is not intended to take the place of personalized medical care from a trained healthcare professional. The reader assumes all risk when utilizing the above information.

~Louise~

Copyright© 2012 Louise Harmon

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