Hawthorn

Spotlight on a Plant Ally

Crataegus spp.

This year we planted several trees at our house in Apple Valley and I was super excited to include a hawthorn among them. Even now it has lingering berries that I left for the birds. The ones I cultivated are in our Heart and Voice Song Circle tea, a blend inspired by our several song circles in Lyons, created to help open the heart and voice. 

Hawthorn flowers, leaves, and berries all help to dilate the blood vessels around the heart and body, improving function and blood flow. It's often used for high blood pressure, cases on angina, and rapid heart rate. With regular and consistent use, Hawthorn increases blood flow to the areas that need it, which can help with varicose veins, cold hands and feet, and poor memory or decreased cognitive function. It also calms the nervous system, decreasing anxiety. It is a wonderful remedy for "broken hearts" and for depression and anxiety. 

In Celtic and Irish mythology, Hawthorn is called the fairy tree, where the Aos Sí or "the Other Folk" dwell. Lone hawthorn trees, especially those near ancient sites like barrows, holy wells, or crossroads, are considered sacred gateways or portals to the fairy realm. Damaging or cutting down a lone hawthorn is strictly taboo and widely believed to invite the wrath of the fairies, leading to illness, bad luck, the loss of livestock fertility, or even death. This belief is so strong that in Ireland, major roads have been rerouted at great expense to avoid disturbing "fairy trees". People who fall asleep under a hawthorn are said to have vivid dreams or be lured into the fairy underworld, where time passes differently.

With its relationship to the heart, it's not surprising that it's also associated with love. In Ancient Greece and Rome, it was used in wedding ceremonies and brides wore blossoms in their hair. In Christian tradition, it is believed Jesus' crown of thorns was made from hawthorn.

I am looking forward to the spring and building a sitting area near my tree, a place to go when I need help feeling calm or opening my heart. And perhaps if I fall asleep, I'll be transported to another realm.