Subscribe Donate

Topics

8 forms of capital active hope agroecology agroforestry alder buckthorn Amazon anxiety apples arthritis autumn Autumn equinox back yard beans Bec Hellouin beech tree bees beneficial berries biochar biodigester biodiversity blackberries blackthorn book review brain brassica cage budget build building campesino capital card deck Celtic festivals change changes chemical-free chickens christmas circular clay pot cleansers cleansing milks climate change climate chaos climate emergency climate grief climate solutions climbers climbing cob comfrey community Community Nature Network community projects compost compost teas connection consciousness conservation container cooking coppice coppicing cordial cosmology courgettes crafts crisis crop protection Cross Quarter Festival cultural emergence culture cut flowers cycles degraded design diary diversity DIY do it yourself dryland earth care earth's cycles Earth's energy ecoculture economics ecopoetry ecosystem ecosystem restoration camps ecosystems edges edible edible flowers education efficiency elder elderflowers elements elixir energy equinox ethics face mask fair shares Fairtrade farming feedback feminine ferns figs film firewood floristry flower essence flower garden flowers food food forest food garden footbath forage foraging forest garden forest gardening forests fruit fruit leather fruit trees funding fungi future future care gardening gardens garlic gift economy gin Give Nature a voice Glennie Kindred global poverty glut grapes green space greenhouse grief groundcover grow grow food grow your own growing guilds habitat habits handcream harvest harvests hawthorn hazel hazelnut healing shrubs healing trees health healthy soil heart health hedgerow hedging herbal herbal remedies herbal teas herbalist herbs holistic holistic planned grazing home homeless homemade wine homestead hope Hugelkultur humanure hummus hungry gap IBC tanks Imbolc incense increase yields Indigenous inexpensive influence inspiration International Womens Day jam keyline kingfisher kitchen garden lacto-fermentation Lammas land landscape landscapes life lifestyle limeflowers livelihood livestock living labs logs Looby Macnamara lotion low cost low-impact Lush Spring Prize macerations Manda Scott Mangwende Orphan Care Trust market garden market gardening marmalade marshmallow mass heater meadowsweet medicinal microbes microfarm Midwest Permaculture mimic mindset mitigation money Morag Gamble moringa Mother Earth movement mulch multifunctional mushrooms native plants natural natural building natural fertiliser natural skincare natural swimming pool nature nature connection nitrogen no dig no waste no-dig north-facing novel November nutrition nuts observe oca October off-grid oil cleansing orchard orchards organic organic flowers organic gardening outdoor shower oven oxymel oyster pallets pasture-fed patterns people people care peoplecare perennials permaculture permaculture design permaculture magazine award permaculture projects permaculutre permayouth pesto pests philippines pine tree pips pizza oven plant profile plants pollinators pollution polyculture polycultures positive change preserving principles propagating protection pruning prunings psycho-spiritual awareness psychospiritual transformation rainforest rainwater raspberries recipe recipes reduce reed beds regeneration regenerative regenerative agriculture relative location relative matter remedy renewable renewable energy resilient resources restoration reuse revolution rhythms rootstock rootstocks roundhouse roundwood runner beans sage salad salads salve Samhain schools Scotland scotts pine seasonal seasons seeds selfcare Sepp Holzer september septic tanks sewage treatment shade shamanism sheet mulching shrubs skincare sloes slugs small solutions small-scale smallholding social justice soil health solar solutions sowing spiritual spring squash stacking functions stock-free straw straw bale summer support sustainable Sweet Bay syntropic systems temperate terraces thistles thrutopia timber timber framing tincture tonic toolkit tools transformation trees upcycle urban urban gardening veg garden vegan veganic vermicomposting vinegar visionaries walnuts waste water water cleansing watering weeds wellbeing wetland wild edges wild food wild garlic wildflower wildlife wine recipes wings winter winter greens winter salads wood stove woodburner woodland woodland management woodlands world is possible worms yarrow year round year-round food yield young people youth zai pits zone 00 zoning

Topics

8 forms of capital active hope agroecology agroforestry alder buckthorn Amazon anxiety apples arthritis autumn Autumn equinox back yard beans Bec Hellouin beech tree bees beneficial berries biochar biodigester biodiversity blackberries blackthorn book review brain brassica cage budget build building campesino capital card deck Celtic festivals change changes chemical-free chickens christmas circular clay pot cleansers cleansing milks climate change climate chaos climate emergency climate grief climate solutions climbers climbing cob comfrey community Community Nature Network community projects compost compost teas connection consciousness conservation container cooking coppice coppicing cordial cosmology courgettes crafts crisis crop protection Cross Quarter Festival cultural emergence culture cut flowers cycles degraded design diary diversity DIY do it yourself dryland earth care earth's cycles Earth's energy ecoculture economics ecopoetry ecosystem ecosystem restoration camps ecosystems edges edible edible flowers education efficiency elder elderflowers elements elixir energy equinox ethics face mask fair shares Fairtrade farming feedback feminine ferns figs film firewood floristry flower essence flower garden flowers food food forest food garden footbath forage foraging forest garden forest gardening forests fruit fruit leather fruit trees funding fungi future future care gardening gardens garlic gift economy gin Give Nature a voice Glennie Kindred global poverty glut grapes green space greenhouse grief groundcover grow grow food grow your own growing guilds habitat habits handcream harvest harvests hawthorn hazel hazelnut healing shrubs healing trees health healthy soil heart health hedgerow hedging herbal herbal remedies herbal teas herbalist herbs holistic holistic planned grazing home homeless homemade wine homestead hope Hugelkultur humanure hummus hungry gap IBC tanks Imbolc incense increase yields Indigenous inexpensive influence inspiration International Womens Day jam keyline kingfisher kitchen garden lacto-fermentation Lammas land landscape landscapes life lifestyle limeflowers livelihood livestock living labs logs Looby Macnamara lotion low cost low-impact Lush Spring Prize macerations Manda Scott Mangwende Orphan Care Trust market garden market gardening marmalade marshmallow mass heater meadowsweet medicinal microbes microfarm Midwest Permaculture mimic mindset mitigation money Morag Gamble moringa Mother Earth movement mulch multifunctional mushrooms native plants natural natural building natural fertiliser natural skincare natural swimming pool nature nature connection nitrogen no dig no waste no-dig north-facing novel November nutrition nuts observe oca October off-grid oil cleansing orchard orchards organic organic flowers organic gardening outdoor shower oven oxymel oyster pallets pasture-fed patterns people people care peoplecare perennials permaculture permaculture design permaculture magazine award permaculture projects permaculutre permayouth pesto pests philippines pine tree pips pizza oven plant profile plants pollinators pollution polyculture polycultures positive change preserving principles propagating protection pruning prunings psycho-spiritual awareness psychospiritual transformation rainforest rainwater raspberries recipe recipes reduce reed beds regeneration regenerative regenerative agriculture relative location relative matter remedy renewable renewable energy resilient resources restoration reuse revolution rhythms rootstock rootstocks roundhouse roundwood runner beans sage salad salads salve Samhain schools Scotland scotts pine seasonal seasons seeds selfcare Sepp Holzer september septic tanks sewage treatment shade shamanism sheet mulching shrubs skincare sloes slugs small solutions small-scale smallholding social justice soil health solar solutions sowing spiritual spring squash stacking functions stock-free straw straw bale summer support sustainable Sweet Bay syntropic systems temperate terraces thistles thrutopia timber timber framing tincture tonic toolkit tools transformation trees upcycle urban urban gardening veg garden vegan veganic vermicomposting vinegar visionaries walnuts waste water water cleansing watering weeds wellbeing wetland wild edges wild food wild garlic wildflower wildlife wine recipes wings winter winter greens winter salads wood stove woodburner woodland woodland management woodlands world is possible worms yarrow year round year-round food yield young people youth zai pits zone 00 zoning

Everything You Need to Know About Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

Medicinal herbalist, Anne Stobart, shares everything you need to know about Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) – health benefits, how to grow and harvest, key constituents and therapeutic use.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is a small European tree with early sprays of fragrant flowers followed by red berries, significant for wildlife and all parts can help to relieve anxiety and benefit the circulation.

Alternate names: English hawthorn, whitethorn, haw, oneseed hawthorn

Parts used: Flowers, leaves and fruits (berries) are all used.

A long-lived deciduous, thorny, large shrub or small tree growing up to 10m high and 6m wide. Small-toothed leaves with three to five acute lobes are borne on thorny branches. Pinkish-white flowers with five petals and 15-20 stamens are produced from May to June with the seeds ripening from September to November. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by midges. 

Habitat

Hawthorn is native to the northern wooded zones of Europe, parts of northern Africa and western Asia. It has become naturalised in parts of North America and other temperate locations as a garden escape. This plant is considered invasive in some parts of North America. 

Related plants

There are some 280 species of hawthorns in the genus Crataegus, including some with attractive flowers and others with edible fruits. In the US, C. monogyna is an introduced species, and other native species could be used such as C. douglasii. All species are likely to have some medicinal effect, including the Midland hawthorn (C. oxyacanthoides or C. laevigata) which has less deeply lobed leaves.

Cultivation and harvest

Cultivation

Hawthorn suits most soils, and prefers moist soil although it tolerates drought, maritime exposure and atmospheric pollution. Will grow in light woodland or on woodland sunny edge, but not in heavy shade. The hawthorn is hardy to USDA zone 4 (UK zone 3). Hawthorn can be repeatedly pruned and will form an impenetrable bush. In a woodland context it may need regular pruning to avoid people coming into contact with thorny branches. Suckers may need to be removed from the base. Pollarding is not recommended unless a young tree; at Holt Wood we found that pollarding a mature tree produced many dozens of spiny shoots. Seedlings take from 5-8 years before they start to bear fruit. A study of different methods of hedgerow management, predominantly hawthorn, found that the unmanaged areas were substantially more productive of berries, producing around 150g (dry weight so about half the fresh weight) per 2.5m2 surface area of hedgerow.

Pests and diseases

Hawthorn like other Prunus family plants is susceptible to apple scab, leaf blights and rusts.

Propagation

Fresh seed can be cleaned and planted immediately in a cold frame. Seed can be stored 2-3 years in a sealed container in a refrigerator. Stored seeds need 7-8 hours soaking, followed by three months, warm stratification and a further three months, cold stratification. Cuttings are rarely successful.

Harvesting

Flowers and leaves can be harvested in May; they may have a fishy smell (trimethylamine to attract insects) which disappears on drying. Berries are gathered in September/October when ripe and also dried. Take extra care, and wear thick gloves, to avoid the sharp thorns when harvesting.

Therapeutic use 

Traditional 

Hawthorn has a considerable history of magical association and folklore. It was particularly associated with May Day festivities, and is also frequent in place names and boundary charters. Although used for decoration outside, there was a belief that it should not be brought into the house for fear of illness and death. The World Health Organization describes folk medicine use of the leaves and flowers as an antispasmodic for asthma, diarrhoea, gallbladder disease and uterine contractions, and sedative for insomnia.

Medicinal actions and uses 

Flower, leaf and fruit actions are anti-oxidant, coronary vasodilator, diuretic, astringent, anti-inflammatory and hypotensive. Hawthorn leaf and flower can be used in heart palpitations and stress, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia. The World Health Organization includes hawthorn treatment in stage II chronic congestive heart failure.

Clinical applications and research 

Anxiety was shown to decrease in a trial using an extract of magnesium, hawthorn (C. oxyacantha) and Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica) twice daily for three months: patients showed a significant decrease in anxiety measured by self-report and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. Hawthorn has a history of use and clinical evidence to support its cardiovascular benefits, especially cardiotonic activity. Hawthorn extract has been shown to lower blood pressure in a number of studies. Research has shown that hawthorn preparations have been of benefit in ischaemic heart disease. Hawthorn preparations contain bioflavonoids which are anti-oxidant and help to prevent degeneration of blood vessels; they relax and dilate the arteries so increasing blood flow to the heart muscle. However, the benefits of this herb are felt only after prolonged use, at least 4-6 weeks. 

Sample preparations and dosage 

Dried flowers and leaves, up to 6g per day, can be steeped in tea for 10-15 minutes. Dried berries, tincture 1:5, 1-5ml three times daily. A liqueur can be made with hawthorn berries steeped in brandy. 

Constituents and commerce 

Key constituents 

Leaves and fruits of hawthorn species contain polyphenolic flavonoids (such as quercetin glycosides and flavone-C-glycosides), and oligomeric proanthocyanidins providing a high level of anti-oxidant activity in addition to strong antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria. Other constituents include quercetin, quercetrin, triterpene saponins, vitamin C and cardioactive amines. Flowers revealed the highest tocopherol and ascorbic acid contents, and also the best essential fatty acids ratio. 

Commerce 

Commercial preparations are standardised to 5% or more oligomeric proanthocyanidins and 2% flavonoids, with doses ranging from 160-900mg of the dried extract. The material of commerce for the phytomedicine industry is obtained from European countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, the former Yugoslavia and Poland.

Safety 

Use of hawthorn in heart complaints must be supervised by a clinical practitioner. Studies have found that hawthorn preparations are well tolerated with little evidence for anything other than infrequent mild adverse effects of headache, nausea and palpitations. However, hawthorn preparations may potentiate the actions of digitalis, antihypertensives and lipid-lowering medications, so medical advice should be sought if taking prescription medications for circulatory complaints. Seeds in the hawthorn fruits (like apple seeds) contain amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside, and should not be eaten to excess as they can produce cyanide toxicity. 

Other uses 

Hedging. Fruit is edible, best cooked in preserves. Important wildlife plant providing haws for birds in winter. 

This is an extract from Anne Stobart’s The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook, an extensive handbook with practical information on growing, harvesting and using medicinal trees and shrubs sustainably in a temperate climate, whether for self-sufficiency or profit.

Each issue of Permaculture magazine offers tried-and-tested solutions, projects and pioneering ideas from the very best of the permaculture community. Every subscription comes with FREE access to all 30+ years of back issues.




Further Resources

Watch

The Medicinal Forest Garden

Books

The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook
by Anne Stobart

Letting in the Wild Edges
by Glennie Kindred

Articles

Everything you Need to Know about Growing Grapes

Yarrow and its Medicinal Benefits

Recipes from the Medicinal Forest Garden

About the Author

Anne Stobart is a medical herbalist and herb grower based in Devon, UK.

She is the author of The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook and runs various medicinal courses.