Is it a coincidence that hawthorn is harvested in Autumn? I don’t think so. Just as citrus fruits are winter fruits, full of vitamin C to help with colds and flu, hawthorn is there to help keep us warm and prevent chilblains.
Hawthorn is native to Europe but grows well here. It can be
a shrub or a small tree, depending on how you prune it. It has very long, sharp thorns. It is deciduous and the
leaves turn a beautiful translucent red and yellow in autumn. Even the carpet
of leaves at its base is very pretty. In spring the blossoms attract bees, and to hear the loud hum of thousands of busy bees in the stillness of the morning is truly awesome.
Hawthorn is one of the oldest known
medicinal plants used in European medicine - its beneficial actions on the
heart were first reported by first century Greek herbalist Dioscorides and
later by Swiss physician Paracelsus (1493–1541) (Weihmayr and Ernst, 1996).
Hawthorn is the ultimate nurturing herb for the heart. The
flowers, berries and leaves are used each with its own particular nourishing or
medicinal effect.
Hawthorn is
widely regarded in Europe as a safe and effective treatment for the early
stages of heart disease and is endorsed by Commission E- the branch of the
German government that studies and approves herbal treatments. It is used to
promote the health of the circulatory system and has been found useful in
treating angina, high blood pressure, early congestive heart failure and
cardiac arrhythmia. It has been found to strengthen the heart and stabilise it
against arrhythmias. It also
strengthens the entire cardiovascular system, improving blood flow to all our
organs thus improving our general health. It is my own opinion that using
hawthorn can delay visual and hearing problems due to old age, as blood supply
to these organs is well maintained.
Hawthorne should
be used under the care of a phytotherapist for circulatory or heart problems.
