Herb Spotlight: Hawthorn

What is your daily tea ritual looking like as we move through March? For me, I love including specific herbs to my tea rituals. I select them based on the season as well as what I feel needs support in my life. Even though it’s still cold out, the lengthening days signal to me that it’s time to start a slow shift from the warming herbs to ones that support me as spring approaches.

This herb is a favorite of mine and ties in with last month’s Valentine’s Day since it’s a heart herb. It’s in the rose family and once you start to explore Hawthorn, you can see so many similarities with the rose and why it’s such a great herb to include when supporting your heart, physically or energetically.

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Hawthorn is a tree or shrub with many sharp thorns along its branches. In May, delicate white to pinkish flower clusters bloom. This descriptor sounds so much like the rose! Embodying the opposites: strong yet delicate. Resilient. Protective.

You’ll find red berries in the fall. In ancient lore and legend, the hawthorn was seen as the embodiment of the triple goddess: maiden, mother, and crone. The flowers are seen as the maiden aspect and popular in May Day/Beltane festivals. The berries are the mother aspect. The crone is seen in the thorns.

The hawthorn is one of the first trees to repopulate an area as well as will grow and thrive in a multitude of environments. I love that adaptability aspect of hawthorn and feel it is one of its energetic qualities that it imparts when we use it.

Part of the lore around hawthorn concerning the crone aspect is the challenges it presents. Think quests, hero/heroine journeys and the like. Challenging us to bring forth inner power in times when we struggle to do so. (Sounds so very needed now!) It’s about being more fully yourself, strengthening who you are, locating that self deep within and connecting to who you are. The thorns on the tree are both protective and about setting boundaries.

Hawthorn is a calming nervine. It soothes the nervous system while nourishing it. Hawthorn is recommended usually when someone is feeling sadness, grief, loss, or vulnerable. Hawthorn allows us to soften in a way that supports us through these emotions. It will not remove them, rather hawthorn creates a safe space to feel and release them.

You may be familiar with Hawthorn as a heart herb. As in, physically supporting your heart and its functions. This use of hawthorn is very common as it provides great support to the cardiac system of the body. The German Commission E (the German equivalent to our FDA) has approved use the of hawthorn leaf and flower for decreased cardiac output. Hawthorn’s physical effects on the body are seen in the dilation of the arteries and veins to help blood flow by inhibiting the enzymes that cause constriction. It also strengthens the heart muscle creating an environment that improves mechanics.

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The physical and energetic benefits of hawthorn are what I love about the herb and why I included it in two of my teas. You can find the leaf and flower in Serenity Meadows along with tulsi and fennel seeds. The combination creates this refreshing tisane that helps to increase circulation, providing a caffeine-free pick-me-up. The berries (which are not sweet like strawberries or raspberries) are included in Goddess Wisdom Tea. The earthy, slightly bitter white tea blend is inspired by the Mnemosyne and includes herbal allies for memory and brain function.

Herb Spotlight: Hawthorn

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)  is a fabulous herb and not just because one of its names is “Faery thorns.”  The Celts considered Hawthorn as protective, as guardians of sacred springs and wells, along with embodying the three aspects of the feminine- Maiden, Mother, and Crone. (1) This herb is really a shrub or small tree as it can grow 15-30’ and is part of the rose family. (1) Serenity Meadows uses the leaves and flowers from this herb but you can also use the berries.

A well-known cardiac herb, it has been used in North America since 1896 (2) to support health in a number of heart-related conditions. (3) Hawthornhas been taken to reduce blood pressure (4), increase blood flow, and enhance heart muscle cells’ nutrition, energy reserves, and energy release. (3) It has been found helpful for anxiety and menopause as well. (1)

Hawthorn has been shown to dilate the arteries and veins to enhance blood flow and remove blockages. (5) It also has the benefit of stabilizing collagen, supporting ligament, tendon, or muscle tears, and strengthening capillaries. (5) With virtually unknown to have cardiac side effects, Hawthorn is not habit forming. (3)

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References:

(1) Forest, Danu. Celtic Tree Magic. Llewellyn Worldwide. 2014. p. 87-97

(2) Engels, Gale & Brinckmann, Josef. Hawthorn. Herb Profile. HerbalGram. The Journal of theAmerican Botanical Council Issue Number 96. November 2012-January 2013. P. 1-5

(3) Weiss, Rudolf Fritz, M.D. Weiss’s Herbal Medicine Classic Edition. Thieme. 1985. p.162-168

(4) Strauss, Paul. The Big Herbs. XOXOX Press. 2014. p.102-103

(5) Gladstar, Rosemary. Medicinal Herbs A Beginner’s Guide. Storey Publishing. 2012. p. 144-146