I recently included hawthorn berries in a client’s regime, so I thought I would write a little on the wonderful uses of this plant’s berries. 

In the herbal world, berries are known to include superb antioxidants. They also help tone tissue, just like exercise tones muscle, with different berries toning their favorite part of the body. 

Hawthorn berries are known for helping to build and tone the heart, thereby helping the entire circulatory system.

The hawthorn (Cratageus oxyacantha or Cratageus monogyna) is a shrub or small tree native to the Mediterranean. As a hedge plant, it is now cultivated all over the world. Its flowers bloom in the spring and its small, red, applelike berries ripen in the fall and are used for jams, jellies, and medicinal purposes. 

Hawthorn’s use dates back to the Greeks and Romans, as a symbol of hope and happiness. Bulgarian doctors in medieval times used the berries to treat many coronary problems. In the seventeenth century, the English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper praised hawthorn as “a singular remedy for the [kidney] stone” and for congestive heart failure. 

Now herbalists use hawthorn for treatment of mild heart issues for which certain drugs, like cardiotonic glycosides (e.g., digitalis) are not yet warranted. Herbalists recommend it for heart issues associated with aging, such as:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• angina
• dropsy
• arrhythmia 

Hawthorn is also a digestive/metabolic enhancer for overweight folks.

The only safety issue is that in higher dosages, hawthorn berries have a sedative effect. 

Click here for a comprehensive article on hawthorn written by the notable herbalist Christopher Hobbs.

Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt