Hawthorn and hawthorn berries - fructus crataegi

Botannical information about hawthorn

Hawthorn is a group of plants (genus) with the systematic name Crataegus. The best known species and mostly used species is the common Hawthorn, or Crataegus Monogyna. Hawthorn belongs to the subfamily Maloideae of the rose family (Rosaceae) of the order Rosales which furter belongs to the class Magniolipsida and the divisjon Magnoliaphyta.

It is also called haw, hazels, mayblossom, quick thorn, whitethorn, hagthorn, halves, ladies' meat, bread and cheese tree.

 The fruites are called Pixie Pears, Cuckoo's Beads and Chucky Cheese.

The tree is growing in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia.

This long-living tree reaches a height of 30 feet. The tree blossoms in late spring (May to early June in its native area) in corymbs of 5-25 together. Each flower is about 1 cm wide, with five white petals, many red stamens and one style. Each flower produces a single seed-vessel with one fruit inside. The fruit is actually a pome, but resembles a berry. A pome is actually a inner fruit surrounded by a much thicker flesh.  The fruit is brilliantly red when rip.

The flowers emanate a moderate scent resembling the smell of decaying matter. They are fertlized by insects that gather to lay their eggs in what they perceive as rotning matter.

C. Aronia is a related bushy species indigenous to Southern Europe and Western Asia, and   giving larger fleshy fruit than C. Oxyacantha common around Jerusalem and in the Mount of Olives.  where Here thy use Its fruit for preserves.  Another species, C. odoratissima has a very agreeable fruit. C. Azarole has a fruit highly esteemed in Southrn Europe.

How hawthorn is used traditionally in many populations 

In many old european cultures howthorn has been planted in hedges to divide land and keep out tresspassers.The word actually has the meaning hedge-thorn.

According to tradition the crown of Christ was made of hawthorn, and therefore the tree has been concidered as sacred. The smell of the flowers has also tradititionally been interpreted as the smell of the Great Plague of London.

Traditional medical use of the plant is against heart trouble and poor blood circulation.

Effective chemical constituents in hawthorn

Hawthorn contains bioflavonoids, tannins, essential oil, triterpene-carbonic acids and purine derivatives.

The bark contains the alkaloid Crataegin, isolated in greyish-white crystals, bitter in taste, soluble in water, with difficulty in alcohol and not at all in ether.

The tree also contains amydallin, a substance found also in other members of the Prunos and Pyrus groups of Rosacea.

Effect of hawthorn upon the human physiology

One most often uses the dried haws or fruits to make drugs from.

The bioflavonides of Hawthorn are powerful anti-oxydants.  They strengthen the walls of the blood vessels. They also relax and delate the arteries.

Other substances in hawthorn lower the cholesterol level and reduce placque deposited in the arterial walls.

As a consequence of these basic actions, hawthorn give the following circulatory effects:

• Increases the bloodflow and oxygen to the heart.

• Reduces blood pressure.

• Strengthen the heart's contractions and reduces irregular beats.

• Eases circulation in the heart, brain and other body organs.

• Reduces the stress to the heart.