Hawthorn: An Open Heart is Not an Unprotected Heart
Potent medicine for physical and emotional healing of our tender hearts
While hiking into and out of my wilderness fast, I met gorse and hawthorn for the first time. I’m sure my ancestors knew these plants well, but having lived in North America for nearly all of my life, we hadn’t been properly acquainted. I was not sure footed on my trek and I kept falling into her arms. It felt as if she were happy to know me and that I needed to make an offering (in the form of my own blood), to open the door to our relationship. This spring, she stepped forward as a plant that could beautify me, in this case by opening my heart and allowing it to shine. Hawthorn is powerful heart medicine both for medical and emotional conditions of the heart and couldn’t we all use a bit of that today.
Identification
To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out the unifying features of all the different hawthorns. It is estimated that there are about 200 species of this member of the rose family. Common hawthorn (Cratageus monogyna) has very distinctive features and is found frequently in the British Isles, including in hedgerows. They have:
Small toothed leaves, with 3-7 lobes
White flowers with 5 petals
Deep red, round or egg shaped fruit
Thorny branches
By Elstro - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11739912 
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However, the hawthorn tree near me, the cockspur hawthorn has very nondescript shape to the leaves, and the fruit is quite a bit larger, a little bit bigger than most crab apples. They have:
Spoon or oval shaped. Not lobed, sometimes serrated
Clusters of 5 petaled white flowers
Fruits are round and dull-red or green
Usually thorny branches, but there are some cultivars without thorns
Nutritional Value
Hawthorn is rich in:
Amino acids. It contains 8 amino acids. And 3-8 times more amino acids than other common fruits.
Protein. It contains 17 times more protein than an apple.
Calcium. It contains the most calcium of any fruit
Vitamins A, C, B1, B2. It contains about 10 times more vitamins than common fruits.
Leafy buds are eaten as a salad and the country name is “salt and pepper” because it has that taste. (Baïracli-Levy 75) Hawthorn flowers can be sprinkled on fruit salads and custards.
My Favorite Use
Hawthorn Cordial
From Learning Herbs:
Ingredients
1 cup dried hawthorn berries (80 grams)
1 apple, chopped, seeds removed
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3 cardamom pods, crushed
1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise (I usually sub vanilla extract)
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons dried hibiscus
1/3 cup unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice
1/2 cup honey, or to taste
2 cups brandy
Instructions
Place all of the herbs, spices, and fruit in a 1-quart jar.
Add the pomegranate juice and honey, then fill the jar the rest of the way with brandy (approximately 2 cups).
Infuse this for 4 weeks, shaking often.
Strain. This can be stored in a dark, cool location and is best consumed within 1 year.
How to Prepare as Medicine
Tincture can be made from the berries alone in the fall. It can also be made from the flowers and young leaves in the spring. Several herbalists recommend combining these tinctures in a 1:1 ratio for the most complete heart medicine.
Teas can be made from the young leaves and flowers by pouring boiling water over them and steeping for 15-20 minutes. Make a decoction from the berries, keep at a low simmer for at least 20 minutes (can simmer longer).
Don’t consume the seeds of the berries, like apple seeds they contain small amounts of cyanide, also like apple seeds it’s probably not an issue of you accidentally swallow a seed or two.
Medicinal Uses
General:
Antioxidant
Ear, Nose, and Throat:
Decoction used for sore throats
Cardiovascular:
Chest pain (angina)
Lowers cholesterol
Congestive heart failure
Irregular heart beats (atrial fibrillation) and palpitations
Diuretic (pulls excess fluid out of the body)
Reynaud’s disease (cold, pale fingers)
Used as a heart medicine in traditional Persian and Native American healing traditions too
Gastrointestinal:
Used to help food move through the intestines more efficiently (to treat food stagnation) in traditional Chinese medicine
Skin:
A poultice of the leaves or fruits can draw things like splinters, thorns, or infection out of the skin. (Baïracli-Levy 76)
Mental Health:
Useful for ADHD according to herbalist David Winston
Helps people establish their own emotional space according to herbalist Jim McDonald
Rosemary Gladstar suggests it is especially beneficial for those who have a difficult time expressing their feelings or suppress their emotions.
Medical Evidence
General:
Hawthorn extract improved the anti-inflammatory effect of indomethacin (an NSAID medication like Advil), when treating injury and swelling of a rat paw.
Cardiology:
Hawthorn extracts in alcohol (tinctures) protect heart muscle from oxidation and inflammation
Hawthorn extract also increases the strength of the squeeze of the heart (this can be useful in congestive heart failure
A chemical in hawthorn prevents cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels of the heart (which reduces the risk of heart attacks)
A chemical in hawthorn lowers the heart rate and blood pressure. It achieves this by inhibiting the same enzyme that medicines like lisinopril do.
Alcoholic extract (tincture) lowers cholesterol and prevents hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
Protects against heart disease caused by diabetes
Long-term use decreases aging related damage to blood vessels
Gastrointestinal:
Hawthorn soup relieves indigestion caused by high-calorie diet
Prevents development of colitis
Improves digestion of cholesterol and amino acids
Speeds emptying of the stomach and the movement of food through the small intestine
Prevents development of stomach ulcers due to alcohol consumption
Liver:
Reduces the fat content of the liver and elevation of liver enzymes, particularly in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Kidney:
Hawthorn extract protects from kidney damage
Metabolic:
A chemical called quercetin in hawthorn lowers blood sugars
Blood:
Research suggests that hawthorn has blood thinning properties, which is protective of the heart like aspirin is. However, caution is needed if you take other blood thinning medications like warfarin, Xarelto, Eliquis, Plavix, Brillinta, or even aspirin
Oncology:
Hawthorn has not been studied much in the prevention of cancer. However, it contains chemicals that are known to be beneficial in the prevention of cancer.
Hawthorn extract in acetone inhibited the growth of breast and liver cancer cells.
Chemicals in hawthorn kill laryngeal cancer cells
Isolated compounds from hawthorn plants are considered a promising treatment for melanoma (skin cancer).
Immune System:
Stimulates activity of white blood cells
Infectious Disease:
Hawthorn inhibits the growth of at least 14 different types of bacteria, including strong effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is often difficult to treat with antibiotics
Orthopedic:
Hawthorn acid can be used for arthritis pain
Neurology:
Blocks accumulation of proteins that lead to Alzheimer’s disease
Promotes the recovery of movement abilities in rats with spinal cord injuries
Protected rats from neurologic injury due to various pesticides
Psychiatry:
Inhibits depression behaviors caused by stress hormones
Hawthorn is safe and more effective than placebo at treating mild to moderate anxiety
Adverse Effects
There is conflicting evidence in hawthorn’s role in progression of congestive heart failure. Most of the studies have shown benefit in heart failure, but a newer study that followed patients over a longer time suggested that it might cause congestive heart failure to worsen more quickly. Most other studies have found hawthorn to be very safe. It can cause dizziness, nausea, and indigestion.
Ecosystem Services
Mature leaves of hawthorn trees contain a growth hormone for butterflies, which strengthens the butterfly population and their ability to pollinate and cross-pollinate other plants. (Beresford-Kroeger 222) Some moths and butterflies feed only on the nectar and leaves of hawthorn trees. Similarly, hawthorn blooms provide an important early season source of nectar for insects. Hawthorn trees also provide shelter for mammals and birds.
History and Folklore
In Ancient Greece and Rome, hawthorn was used for marriage and birth ceremonies. Some believe the crown of thorns that Jesus wore was made from Hawthorne. In addition, there are legends that Joseph of Arimathea traveled to Britain with a staff (also believed to be made of hawthorn). When he arrived at the site where Glastonbury Abbey now stands, he thrust his walking staff into the ground. It is said it took root and grew into a live hawthorn tree. In Serbia, hawthorn wood was considered excellent for impaling vampires.
The Ancient Celts understood hawthorn to convey power. They believed the tree was one entrance to the world of fairies. (Beresford-Kroeger 222). Those who fell asleep under hawthorn trees were likely to be taken to the fairy world (often not returning for 7 or 100 years). Celtic fairies are spirits who will exact revenge if they are wronged. They might cause crop failures, mysterious illnesses, disappearances, or the death of livestock. Because single hawthorn trees house fairies, the Irish even to the modern day have strict rules about cutting down lone hawthorn trees. You may see a field cleared of all trees except a lone hawthorn or a road construction project rerouted around one. In Kilkeady, in County Limerick Ireland, there is a hawthorn tree that is said to have sprouted from a thorn St. Ita pulled from the hoof of a donkey. Purportedly, all of its thorns are pointed downward. In England, women washed their faces in the dew of hawthorn flowers on Beltane (May Day), to preserve their youthful appearance.
Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest used the thorns as fish hooks, sewing awls, to lance blisters and boils, and to pierce ears. There is an Ojibwe tale about how porcupine got its quills. Bear was hunting porcupine. Porcupine protected himself by placing hawthorn branches across his back. When bear tried to eat him, he was pricked by the thorns and left him be. Nanabozho, the trickster god, appreciated the ingenuity. He peeled the branches so they were white, spread clay across his back, and added the thorns. He has been protected from predators ever since.
Magical Uses
In witchcraft, hawthorn is used for:
Protection
Longevity
Working with fairies
Communicating with spirits and ancestors
Flower Essences and Plant Spirit Medicine
Hawthorn provides healing for the heart at both the physical and emotional level, particularly for healing grief. Hawthorne cleanses negativity and replenishes the body. Herbalist Celia Linneman describes the energy and spirit of Hawthorn as calling us toward, “cleansing, purification, and connecting to your passions.” Spiritual herbalist Sarah Baldwin experiences hawthorn as, “a grandmotherly figure who delivers just the right dose of medicine at the right time. Her lessons can be stern, but they are always fair, and she never gives you more than you handle. She won’t spoil you, but is able to show you the kind of tough love necessary for the healthy growth of strong children. Grandmother Hawthorn can open your eyes to issues you’ve been hiding from yourself, and unconscious patterns of action and reaction that wreak havoc on your relationships.”
Blessing
Holy Hawthorn Thank you for the ways you tend to and nurture our hearts We honor how you mark the thresholds of the growing season with your blooms and berries Praise to your magical kin The Holy Thorn Tree Who blooms in spring and winter each year Help us to understand that an open heart Is not an unprotected heart That the medicine for the broken-hearted Is sweetness rather than bitterness Help us to use our healed hearts To tend to the many broken-hearted In our time and place
Works Cited
Baïracli-Levy, Juliette de. Common Herbs for Natural Health. Ash Tree Publishing, 1997.
Beresford-Kroeger, Diana. To Speak for the Trees: My Life's Journey from Ancient Celtic Wisdom to a Healing Vision of the Forest. Random House of Canada, 2019.
Author’s note: Reviewing the medical literature for these plants is great fun AND takes quite a bit of time. Because the knowledge I’m sharing here has a bit more practical use and takes more time than me talking about my feelings I have opened The Nettle Witch, MD up for paid subscriptions. I won’t be putting anything behind the paywall because I want all of this information to be available to anyone who will use it, but if you find it valuable and are willing to support my work, I’d be honored. As a thank you, I am recording a plant spirit meditations each month for paid subscribers. This month’s will be ready in the next 3-4 days. Thank you so much!
Oh I look forward to reading this. Hawthorn is one of my closest allies and I dreamed of Hawthorn berries just last night.