The flowering of the Hawthorn in May has always heralded the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. May Day / Labour Day on the 1st May is merely the modern name for the ancient Celtic Fire Festival of Bealtaine (Beltane), a celebration of life and fertility, when the Great Wheel of the year turns from winter to summer.
The Celtic Druids divided the year into two halves. The Light Half began with the start of the growing season at Bealtaine and the Dark Half began at Samhain, after harvesting had finished. Marriages could only take place in the light half of the year. Bealtaine started the season with the Sacred Marriage of the God and Goddess, whose love brought fertility to the world. Likewise, in ancient Greece and Rome, Hawthorn Blossom symbolised love, marriage and fertility. Even into the medieval period, European peasants continued to crown their “May Queen” with Hawthorn Blossom and to dance around the phallic symbol of the May Pole, so that the harvest would be plentiful.
As with other popular “Pagan” customs, Christianity disapproved of Bealtaine’s sexual overtones and its aphrodisiacal use of Hawthorn Blossom! In fact, Hawthorn was regarded as such a potent magical entity that church authorities turned it into an unlucky tree, the Crown of Thorns worn by the crucified Christ, a harbourer of unauthorised magical activities beloved by witches and faeries. It was forbidden to bring Hawthorn Flowers into the house under any circumstances, in the belief that they carried the “Scent of Death” (as opposed to heady female sexuality!)
However, it was OK to use the prickly Hawthorn Tree for hedging. It makes an impenetrable stock-proof boundary. Between 1650 and 1850, the British enclosure acts fenced off former Common Lands throughout England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Large amounts of fencing were needed for the job. In many places, wire was too expensive and stone too scarce to use. Hawthorn provided a cheap and practical alternative because of its fast-growing habit and hardiness, surviving even shallow soils and wind.
There are around two hundred species of Hawthorn (Crataegus) found throughout northern temperate regions, from North America to China and most of Europe. It belongs to the Rose Family (Rosaceae), which is obvious by its flower shape and scent, its thorns and its deep red hips, known as “Haws”. Crataegus monogyna is the white-flowered variety common throughout Ireland and Britain. The deep pink / red variety, Crataegus laevigata, originates from south-east England and is known as “Midland Hawthorn”. Chinese Hawthorn, Crataegus pinnatifida, has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for generations.
In the West, Hawthorn’s medicinal uses, particularly its cardiotonic properties, were lost until the late 1800s, when the secret of an Irish physician’s success in treating Heart Disease came to light. Dr. Green, of County Clare in Ireland, had been using a tincture of Hawthorn Berries! Modern research has verified the constituents of Hawthorn Flower and Berry as flavonoid glycosides, procyanidins, saponins, tannins and minerals; while their actions include relaxing the peripheral blood vessels, tonification of the heart, and astringency. The character of the flowering tops (flowers plus young leaves) is regarded as cool, with an astringent taste. In contrast, the character of the red berries is warm and either sour or slightly sweet (depending on the variety).
Before Dr. Green, Hawthorn was only valued medicinally for its astringency, being used to treat diarrhoea and heavy menstrual bleeding. Country folk would mix tannin-rich Hawthorn leaves with expensive imported tea, to eke out their meagre rations! The 17th century herbalist, William Coles, wrote that the stones inside Haw Berries “signified” that they should be used as a remedy for stones inside the body (gall-stones, kidney-stones etc) and suggested that the distilled waters of Haw Flowers, if applied as a dressing, could draw out thorns, splinters and the like. His reasoning was that “the Thorne gives a medicine of its own pricking, as many other things besides do, if they were observed”!
In China, the berries of Crataegus pinnatifida are called Shan Zha and are used for “food stagnation”, including bloating, indigestion and flatulence. Shan Zha also “moves blood” and relieves stagnation, especially after childbirth, and eases the pain of angina. Partially charred berries counteract diarrhoea. Traditional Chinese Medicine also believes that Hawthorn affects the emotional side of the heart, by calming and reducing anxiety. It is used to relieve insomnia and nightmares, as well as menopausal mood swings and PMT. It can even calm children with ADHD.
Thankfully the West has finally acknowledged Hawthorn as one of the safest and most popular cardiac herbs. Its berries, leaves and flowers are used to treat angina, enlargement of the heart caused by overwork or too much exercise, and heart damage caused by substance abuse. Unlike Digitalis, Hawthorn is a prophylactic with few side effects. It achieves great healing of the physical heart in a gentle and supportive way. For instance, it dilates the coronary arteries and strengthens the heart muscle without raising blood pressure or increasing the beat.
The Flowering Tops make a more effective heart tonic than the berries. As an infusion or as a tincture, Hawthorn lowers high blood pressure and helps dissolve cholesterol and calcium deposits, making it ideal for arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and for plaquing. Hawthorn also treats intermittent claudication, that condition where poor circulation in the legs causes pain in the muscles when trying to walk. Buerger’s Disease and Raynaud’s Disease also respond well to Hawthorn.
The whole of the Hawthorn plant contains Flavonoid compounds called Procyanidins, which help to normalise blood pressure. This means, if blood pressure is too high, Hawthorn will lower it. If it is too low, it will stimulate and raise the heart rate. Hawthorn has even been used successfully to regulate irregular heartbeats!
Hawthorn combines well with other cardiac herbs.
Use with Yarrow for hypertension, when the blood vessels are constricted and there’s a risk of thrombosis or clotting.
Mix with Garlic and / or Ginger as an overall heart and circulatory tonic.
To stimulate poor circulation in general, combine with Horseradish.
To stimulate poor circulation specifically in the hands and feet, combine with Lime Blossom.
RECIPES:
HAWTHORN LEAF TEA helps to improve poor circulation and acts as a general tonic for heart problems. Use fresh or dried leaves, although the most medicinal are the Flowering Tops (flowers and young leaves) gathered throughout early summer. If picking to dry, choose a dry day. Lay the leaves out in a single layer on clean dry trays and leave to air-dry in a warm place (not in an oven, which destroys the flavour). Turn the tops each day to avoid mould growth. Once the leaves are crisp, store in air-tight containers away from the light. To make the tea, infuse a few leaves in boiling water for a few minutes to the desired strength, then strain and serve.
HAWTHORN BERRY TEA. Use fresh or dried Haws. Pour 500ml of boiling water over 30g of berries and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Alternatively, boil the berries in the water for no longer than 15 minutes as a decoction. For either method, immediately strain off the liquid after the 15 minutes. Take as needed for Diarrhoea or Hypertension.
HAWTHORN BERRY JUICE. I use a special steam-operated juicing pan to extract pure juice from my fruit, vegetables and herbs. Choose fresh “meaty” Haws. The resultant juice is used as a cardiac tonic, a cure for diarrhoea, or as a general aid to digestion.
HAWTHORN TINCTURE can be used for hardening of the arteries; abnormal blood pressure; palpitations; irregular heart beat; mild angina; anxiety or restlessness; intermittent claudication.
You can make two separate tinctures, one from the flowers in the spring and another from the berries in the autumn. Here’s a recipe that combines both and is made in two stages.
Stage One: Gather the flowering tops in the spring. Make sure the blossom is fresh. Remove any large twigs and pack the flowering tops tightly into a clean glass jar that has a lid. Pour vodka over the contents until the jar is completely full. Put on the lid and shake the jar to remove air bubbles. Now label and date the jar before leaving it in a cupboard for about a month, until the blossom and leaves have lost their colour. Strain off the liquid and bottle it.
Stage Two: Gather the ripe Haw Berries in the autumn. Put them in a blender with enough Hawthorn Flower Tincture (or vodka) to cover them and blend to a pulp. Pour this mixture into clean wide-mouthed jars with lids. Then leave the sealed and labelled jars in a cool dark place for a month. Hawthorn berries contain so much pectin that the mixture will set solid! You will need to use a knife to break up the contents enough to get them out of the jar. Use a jelly bag or juice press to squeeze out the liquid. Finally, bottle and label your tincture, which will keep for several years, depending on usage.
Take 1 teaspoon daily as a general tonic.
Take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day for on-going circulatory problems.
HAWTHORN FLOWER SYRUP
Pamela Michael adapted an 18th century recipe to give us this modern version. According to Pamela, “the apricot coloured syrup has a true flowery fragrance and makes a subtle sauce to go over flans, milk puddings and ice cream. It is also a delicious summer drink, poured on to crushed ice with a splash of soda water added.” You will need:-
1 litre / 2 pints measure of Hawthorn Flowers;
a bag of castor sugar;
800g / 2 lbs granulated sugar;
1.25 litres / 2 pints water;
6 – 7 tablespoons of lemon juice;
6 – 7 tablespoons of rosewater (optional).
Carefully pick the Hawthorn Flowers and snip away most of the stalks. Pack the flowers loosely into clean glass jars in layers 2.5cm / 1 inch deep, sprinkling a teaspoon of castor sugar between each layer of flowers until the jar is full.
Next, heat the granulated sugar, water and strained lemon juice in a pan and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Boil this mixture for 3 minutes and then set aside to cool. Later, stir in the rosewater.
Pour the cooled syrup into the jars of Hawthorn Flowers, screw the lids on loosely and stand the jars on a platform inside a steaming pan. Like when you are steaming a Christmas pudding, fill the pan up with cold water so that the jars are immersed in the water but not completely covered by it. Slowly bring the water to the boil and then turn the heat low. Keep the jars in the barely simmering water for one hour, after which you lift the jars out of the pan and tighten the screw tops. While the mixture is getting cold, sterilise enough small bottles and their screw-on caps to take about 1 litre / 2 pints of syrup. Strain the cold flower syrup into a clean jug and pour into the prepared bottles, making sure the tops are screwed on tightly afterwards. This syrup will keep for months in the fridge or cool larder.
You can also freeze freshly picked Hawthorn Flowers in ice cubes, to add to cool drinks.
HAWTHORN FLOWER WINE CUP is another recipe updated by Pamela Michael from a pre-world war two creation by Florence White. Pamela writes: “Without being sweet, it tastes of the scent of May Blossom with a hint of almonds and honey…. it justifies a good Sauterne or Rhine wine.”
You will need:-
1 handful of prepared Hawthorn Flowers;
1 orange;
1 bottle of white wine;
1 bottle of red wine;
1 sprig of lemon balm;
2 sprigs of borage.
Snip most of the stems from the hawthorn flowers. Slice the orange into a large bowl, pour over the two wines and add the herbs. Scatter the hawthorn flowers to float on top of the liquid. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to stand for 24 hours. To serve, fill a tall glass jug with ice cubes, strain the flower-flavoured wine on to the ice and stir vigorously. The original drink was served from an ice-cold cocktail shaker!
HAWTHORN FLOWER WINE produces a medium sweet white wine with a flowery flavour. You will need:-
wine yeast sachet (follow activation instructions on packet);
2 litres / half a gallon freshly picked Hawthorn flowers, snipped from their stems;
5 litres / 1 gallon of boiling water;
1¼ kilos / 3 lbs sugar;
2 lemons, rind thinly pared without pith and juice squeezed and strained;
2 tablespoons cold tea.
Put the sugar with the lemon rind and juice into a large, clean plastic bucket. Pour on the boiling water and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cover the bucket with a clean cloth and leave the liquid to cool to about 70°F / 20°C. Stir in the cold tea and the activated wine yeast. Cover the bucket with its lid and stand in a warm place for 24 hours. Then add the Hawthorn Flowers, stir well and replace the lid. Stand in a warm place for one week, stirring daily. Then strain the liquid into a sterilised fermentation jar, fit the bung and fermentation lock and allow the wine to ferment in a reasonably warm place (about 65°F / 18°C) until sediment has settled at the bottom of the jar and the bubbles in the fermentation jar have ceased. This takes several weeks. When the wine begins to clear at the top of the jar, siphon off through a sterilised length of plastic tubing into a second sterilised fermentation jar, being careful not to let any sediment from the bottom of Jar One get into the siphon tube. To compensate for the small amount of wine left behind with the sediment, top up the new jar with a little cooled boiled water (“racking” the wine). Leave the second fermentation jar in a cool place for about 3 months, or until the wine has cleared completely. It is now ready to be siphoned into sterilised bottles and corked. Keep the bottled wine for at least 6 months before drinking.
HAWTHORN BERRY WINE makes a crisp, light red wine. You will need:-
wine yeast sachet (follow activation instructions on packet);
1¼ kilos / 3 lbs washed Hawthorn Berries, stalks snipped away;
5 litres / 1 gallon of boiling water;
1¼ kilos / 3 lbs sugar;
3 lemons, rind thinly pared without pith and juice squeezed and strained.
Put the Hawthorn Berries into a large, clean plastic bucket and crush with a potato masher. Pour on the boiling water, cover the bucket with its lid and stand for 3 days, stirring daily. Then add the sugar, the lemon rind and juice and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Next, stir in the activated yeast. Cover the bucket with its lid and stand in a warm place for 2 days, to allow the yeast to ferment. Finally, strain the liquid into a sterilised fermentation jar (dark glass for a red wine), fit the bung and fermentation lock and allow the wine to ferment in a reasonably warm place (about 65°F / 18°C) until sediment has settled at the bottom of the jar and the bubbles in the fermentation jar have ceased. This takes several weeks. When the wine begins to clear at the top of the jar, siphon off through a sterilised length of plastic tubing into a second sterilised fermentation jar, being careful not to let any sediment from the bottom of Jar One get into the siphon tube. To compensate for the small amount of wine left behind with the sediment, top up the new jar with a little cooled boiled water (“racking” the wine). Leave the second fermentation jar in a cool place for about 3 months, or until the wine has cleared completely. It is now ready to be siphoned into sterilised bottles and corked. Keep the bottled wine for at least 6 months before drinking.
HAWTHORN BERRY SYRUP / JELLY.
I’ve spoken before how I personally prefer to make jellies rather than syrups because, in my experience, jellies tend to keep better and longer than syrups. That said, here are 2 recipes that have similar preparations, resulting in syrup / jelly!
HAW SYRUP uses 500g of berries and 500ml of water. Place the prepared Hawthorn Berries and water into a large saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. When the berries become soft, mash with a potato masher. Turn off the heat and leave to stand in the pan overnight. Next day, bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently until the mixture has sweated down to half its volume. Allow to cool and then squeeze out the juice through a jelly bag or fruit press. Weigh the juice and put back into the saucepan with an equal weight of sugar. (A general rule is 1 lb sugar for each pint of juice.) You can use honey instead of sugar but it does not keep as well. Now bring rapidly to the boil, making sure the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture looks smooth and syrupy BUT NOT SET. Pour, while still warm, into sterilised bottles and seal. Use 1 teaspoon daily as a heart tonic. It can also be used for flavouring.
HAW JELLY uses 1¼ kilos / 3 lbs berries and ¼ litre / 1½ pints water and strained juice of 2 lemons. Snip the berries from their stalks and wash thoroughly. Then place them in a large saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and cook gently for 1 hour, occasionally mashing the berries with the back of a wooden spoon. When ready, pour the contents of the pan into a jelly bag and allow to drip into a clean container overnight. The next day, measure the juice. For each 1 pint / 500 ml of juice, weigh out 1 lb / 400g of sugar. Then put the juice, lemon juice and sugar into a clean large pan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously until the sugar has completely dissolved. Boil rapidly until the jelly sets when dripped on to a cold saucer (you can also tell by the back of the wooden spoon used to stir the jelly). Skim. Pour into sterilised, warm dry jam jars and seal with lids while jelly is still hot. Whether you spread this jelly on bread, serve it with meats or make it into a hot drink, it will still have the same medicinal effects.
One final word about Hawthorn. According to Celtic Lore, It belongs to a trio of Healing Trees protected by the Faerie Folk. Birch heals the liver in the spring; Hawthorn heals the heart throughout the summer and Elder works with the Lungs and skin well into the autumn. Their healing properties are so valuable that severe penalties were meted out by the Druids to anyone who damaged them. Looking at today’s crises in the Health Services, it seems as if our entire society is being punished for destroying the habitat of our native trees and forgetting our roots. The Leprechauns’ pot of gold is not financial but pure knowledge of how to heal ourselves with what grows around us.
Beannachtai na feile Bealtaine!
REFERENCES
ALL GOOD THINGS AROUND US by Pamela Michael and Christabel King; published by Ernst Benn Ltd in 1980; ISBN: 0 510 00055 X
HEDGEROW MEDICINE, by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal; published by Merlin Unwin Books Ltd., UK in 2012. ISBN: 978 1 873674 99 4
The Herb Society’s Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody MNIMH, published by Dorling Kindersley Ltd, London 1993,
ISBN: 0 7513 0025 X
HERB CRAFT: A GUIDE TO THE SHAMANIC AND RITUAL USE OF HERBS by Susan Lavender and Anna Franklin; printed by Capall Bann Publishing, UK in 1996; ISBN: 1 898307 57 9
Author: Veronica Smith first published on 1st May 2017.
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