Herbs - Hawthorn

🌳 Hawthorn – A Tree of Tradition and Tang

Updated June 2025 – Foothills Naturals offers both whole berries and powder

Hawthorn – From Hedgerow to Hearth
Latin Name: Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus laevigata
Also Known As: May Tree, Thornapple, Whitethorn

🌱 Botanical Source

Hawthorn is a small, thorny tree in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to Europe and Asia, now naturalized across Canada and North America. In spring, it blooms with white flower clusters, followed in late summer by vibrant red berries (haws). At Foothills Naturals, we offer both whole dried berries and hawthorn berry powder for versatile, seasonal, and traditional use.

📖 History & Traditional Uses

Hawthorn has deep roots in traditional herbalism, folklore, and seasonal food culture.

• In Celtic and Anglo-Saxon traditions, it symbolized threshold and protection.

• In Chinese medicine, hawthorn (Shan Zha) was used in digestive formulas.

• In folk Europe, the berries were steeped or cooked into jellies and tonics for fall and winter nourishment.

Referenced in Culpeper’s Herbal, TCM materia medica, and various European folk herbals.

✨ Modern Applications

Today hawthorn is used in:

• Herbal infusions and decoctions

• Tangy syrups, jellies, and chutneys

• Powder form for capsules, blends, and drinks

• Seasonal culinary and DIY projects

🧪 Nutritional & Functional Snapshot

Hawthorn berries and powder contain:

• Flavonoids (rutin, vitexin)

• Antioxidant tannins and OPCs

• Natural acids and pectin

• Trace amounts of vitamin C (more stable in dried powder form)

⚠️ We offer this for educational and culinary interest only, not for therapeutic use. Health Canada restricts health claims to licensed NPN products.

🔧 How to Use Dried Hawthorn Berries

Traditional Hawthorn Decoction

• 1–2 tbsp dried berries

• 2–3 cups water

• Simmer 20–30 minutes, strain

• Optional: Add orange peel, ginger, or honey

🥄 How to Use Hawthorn Powder

Hawthorn powder is convenient and versatile — ideal for busy routines or blending.

Hawthorn Powder Herbal Mix

• Stir 1/2–1 tsp into warm water, juice, or smoothie

• Add to overnight oats or plant-based yogurt

• Combine with cinnamon, ginger, or rosehip powder for gentle flavor balance

Hawthorn Berry Paste (Honey Base)

• Mix 1 tbsp hawthorn powder with raw honey until spreadable

• Store in a jar and take by the spoon, or add to warm water

• Shelf-stable for weeks (keep cool and dry)

DIY Herbal Gummy Base (with Hawthorn)

• Make a strong tea from hawthorn berries

• Stir in 2–3 tsp of hawthorn powder while warm

• Use as the base for pectin or gelatin gummies

🍯 Hawthorn Syrup with Powder

You can boost whole-berry syrup with added powder for extra richness:

• After straining your simmered berry syrup, whisk in 1–2 tsp powder per cup of liquid

• Blend well and bottle

⚠️ Cautions & Considerations

• Do not consume large quantities of seeds; discard or strain well

• Avoid taking hawthorn with heart medications unless advised

• Powder may thicken liquids — always stir or shake before drinking

🌿 Fun Facts

• The word haw means “hedge” — hawthorn was used for centuries to mark land and protect livestock

• Hawthorn is one of the only plants associated with both May Day and Samhain in Celtic seasonal rituals

• The dense wood was traditionally used for tool handles and fenceposts

📚 Suggested Pairings

• Berries: Elderberry, rosehip, hibiscus

• Powder: Cinnamon, lemon peel, ginger, dandelion root

• Seasonal: Blend with warming herbs in fall and winter preparations