Day 30: Hawthorn tea
- Sarah-Jane Cobley
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Crataegus spp.
AKA May flower tree. The appearance of the blossom signifies a move towards summer. They are used in Beltane/May Day celebrations to symbolize fertility, protection and renewal.
Hawthorn is seen as a magical tree, a gateway to the faerie world which is especially open at Beltane. The openness to spirit is an invitation that nourishes our own spirit. Softening, opening and heartening.
The warmth and abundance of summer can be felt when drinking hawthorn tea, and as we do so we relax and feel like celebrating.
ID features
As a member of the rose family, hawthorn is a typical example that has thorns and 5-petaled flowers. It can grow as a small tree or part of a hedge. The pink variety is grown as an ornamental.
The leaves are around 5cm when mature, with about 3-5 deep lobes, bright green when young, getting darker with age. New growth twigs sometimes have stipules where the leaves are attached. These are small leaflike structures that kind of wrap around the twig. I didn’t notice them for years.
The twigs are slim and brown, sometimes reddish when exposed to the sun. Some twigs end in a sharp thorn, often around 2cm, sometimes as long as up to 8 cm! Thorns can also be present at each leaf bud along a branch.
The flowers are creamy white and grow in clusters, each one from its own stalk originating from the same bud. Each flower has a central stigma, (female part), which is yellow, and a ring around it of about 10-20 male stamen with anthers that sometimes have pink pollen. They are aromatic.
Medicinal uses
Hawthorn is known by herbalist as the “Nurse of the Heart”. It nourishes both physically and emotionally. As a cardiovascular tonic it enhances the function of both the heart and the blood vessels. It does this by opening up the aorta essentially feeding the heart muscle with all the nutrients and oxygen it needs for optimum function.
The result is a stronger force of contraction, which means more blood can be sent out to the body with each pump, thereby reducing the heartrate.
In addition to lowering the heartrate, it is also hypertensive, lowering high blood pressure. It does this by relaxing the vessels. However, it also has a tonic effect by strengthening the vessel walls. This means it is a balancer, toning and strengthening when lax, and relaxing when tense.
Additionally, it has a very high antioxidant action because of its flavonoids content, (OPCs: oligomeric proanthocyanidins, quercetin and other polyphenols). Hawthorn is non-toxic and safe even for the elderly and is especially good for long term use. It is a wonderful way to reduce age-related degenerative disease and to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Drinking a cup of hawthorn tea is a very held experience with a ratio of openness and protection that is balanced. This allows access to an abundance of love, both in giving and receiving which allows us to thrive.
How to make a cuppa
I put in 4 clusters of flowers with their leaves.
Taste
I found it green and soothing. A little sweet and a little nutty. Perhaps a little apple-like.
Munching on the remains of my tea was pretty mucilaginous.
You may have heard of it referred to as “bread & cheese”, which relates to it being seen by peasant folk as a meal in one, the bread being the leaves and the cheese being the flowers.
Cautions
If you are taking other heart medications, consult a medical herbalist before taking hawthorn. It is best to take it under supervision as your need for the conventional drugs may change.
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