Herbs for the Heart - Hawthorn Part 1
I took the above photos in May 2020, when large parts of the world were in the first lockdown. I was walking along a quiet country road outside of Ballarat after work one day. I distinctly remember spotting the bright red haw berries, frozen with late-autumn frost. Don’t you think there’s something quite magical about a naked hawthorn tree holding onto its berries as the winter cold creeps in?
Since the beginning of 2020, I have been deeply drawn to using Hawthorn in my life (and I know many others have too) and I have regularly harnessed Hawthorne’s heart & nervous system tonifying medicine over the last 4 years. Looking back now, I can see how this image is representing a looming winter season ahead, but that heart medicine will always be available, no matter what unfolds.
The beautiful, gnarly hawthorn tree is truly food for the heart. It has medicinal leaves & blossoms, protective thorns, plus edible and medicinal fruits to offer us.
Let’s take a look at how Hawthorn can support you and your precious heart & nervous system!
Hawthorn
Crataegus spp.
Hawthorn has many common names including May blossom, May Haw, May Tree, Whitethorn & Lady of the May.
Family - Rosaceae
There are nearly 300 species of hawthorn, which takes its name from the Old English term haw, which means hedge.
Parts used - young leaves, flowers & berries - Hawthorn blossoms and young leaves can be made into a teas and tinctures and also used in salads. Hawthorne berries can be used in jams, syrups, fruit leather and used to make various medicines.
Harvest - Spring for the flowering tops and Autumn for the berries (haws). Be sure to mind the large thorns found along the branches!
Energetics - In Western Herbalism, hawthorn leaves and flowers are considered more drying & slightly cooling and the berries more moistening. The berries might be more appropriate for balancing out a dry condition. Hawthorn is also relaxing and tonifying.
Tastes - berries slightly sour and sweet, leaves & flowers slightly nutty, bitter and astringent
Astrological influence - Mars
Medicinal Actions - anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, astringent, cardiotonic, hypotensive, nervine, hypo-lipidemic, invigorates the blood in TCM
History - Hawthorn is soaked in mystical folklore and has a very rich history of use and a strong connection with the Celtic festival of Beltane (May Day), the spring cross-quarter festival. In the northern hemisphere, Hawthorn has always flowered around Beltane, throughout the month of May and is associated with lust, fertility, sexuality & connected to the White Goddess, the Maiden. Hawthorn was traditionally used to adorn the maypole as part of the Beltane festivities. Many people planted hawthorn in their gardens to offer protection, or along the edges of their property to guard the land. Hawthorn is also said to be the haunt of faeries and bring the spirit of wild places with it wherever it grows. This gives me delicious chills!
Later as Christian religion took hold, unfortunately Hawthorn was seen as an unlucky tree, representing misfortune. But thankfully its again seen in a hopeful and beneficial light as a potent symbol of the heart.
“Sitting at the bookends of the time of growth, she guards the seasonal shifts - but rooted at the edge of the field, she also guards the border between the wild and the hearth. She loves humans, and thrives with our touch, but she remains forever untamed… Her leaves, flowers, and berries yield a medicine that governs the fluxing heart, the person, the community, the culture.” - Guido Masé
Heart medicine offering - emotional
The above quote by Herbalist Guido Masé, describes the energy of hawthorn in such a stunning way. Hawthorn is considered a guardian tree that embodies the in-between, the seasonal shifts, as she blooms on Beltane (Spring cross quarter) and then fruits on Samhain (Autumn cross quarter).
Hawthorn holds the tension beautifully in these crossover seasons, thriving amongst the polarity of the shifting seasons. Change can sometimes be very confronting & uncomfortable, but the beautiful thing is that we don’t have to do it alone. Plants can support us in times of difficult transitions and Hawthorn is one of those incredible plants!
If we look at Hawthorn, we see that the tree is a very robust and tough, and that it is long lived. Hawthorn has the ability to tolerate hot to cold temperatures, damp to dry conditions, salt, wind, heavy damage, most soils types, and semi-shade.1 Hawthorns can live for up to 400 years, although 250 years is more typical, which is still way beyond a human’s life span. The Hawthorn trees stand watch over us not only when we are born but also when we go back into the soil.
There’s an old Hawthorn tree in England called Hethel Old Thorn and its thought to be one of the most ancient hawthorns in England, possibly dating from the 13th century. It’s amazing that the Old Thorn still continues to grow each year and remains healthy.
This strength, tenacity and longevity is available to us when we harness Hawthorns medicine. Hawthorn shows us the importance of having strong, tenacious roots, centred in our unique authenticity & autonomy. When we are being pulled & tugged by life’s pressures & influences, Hawthorn boldly reminds us to stay grounded in our true essence - to stay connected to our hearts. Having autonomy means that we are free to follow our hearts truth and desires.
Like Rose, Hawthorn shows us the importance of boundaries and holding space for life’s polarities. I’ve been painfully stabbed by the wild thorns whilst foraging for the beautiful soft berries, clearly reminding me that strength and softness do coexist and need to coexist for our protection. This is such an important lesson for all of us. We must learn to be both strong and soft. We must learn to hold the polarities of life.
“When visiting with a hawthorn tree, you might also sense its protective but fierce, ever-wild energy in its sharp thorns, delicate blossoms, rich red berries, and rugged wood”. - Herbarium
The thorns are also a reminder that boundaries are the beautiful & important distance in which we can whole-heartedly connect with others. By asserting boundaries we are knowing and stating “What’s OK and What’s not OK”. Protecting the heart space is crucial, as the heart is the keeper of our true nature, our gifts, our dreams, and our memories.
Hawthorn is also a calming nervine herb that can soothe emotional tension. Nervine herbs nourish and support the central nervous system (we all need some of that don’t we!?). For those who love science, a study with hawthorn flowers (C. oxyacantha), California poppy, and magnesium showed that not only was the combination safe but also more effective than placebo in addressing mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders.2
One of my favourite herbalists, Rosemary Gladstar, uses Hawthorn for sadness, grief, and loss or when the heart needs extra protection. I personally find that Hawthorn has an incredible ability to infuse joy into a sad heart just by nibbling the haws fresh from the tree.
The heart medicine of Hawthorn is infinite, there’s a whole universe to discover! This is only a tiny snippet, but I hope that you have a feel for Hawthorn’s ability to support the emotional heart and you are inspired to use this amazing tree in your life.