Heart Love With Hawthorn
- Linda Crider
- Feb 17
- 3 min read
The chocolates and flowers of Valentine's Day will be a memory by the time you read this post, but the entire month of February is considered to be "heart month." This is a time to remember the importance of loving and supporting your cardio vascular system. Like many herbalists, when I think of heart health, the plant medicine that come to mind includes the flowers (spring blossoms), leaves and berries (fall harvest) of the HAWTHORN tree (Crataegus spp).
Most prefer the concentration of physically healing medicine found in the berries (pictured above) while the leaves and flowers lend themselves more to teas and essences. As you can see, the berries resemble small apples, and the white sometimes pinkish flowers that come before them are similar to those of apple trees. Hawthorn shares botanical characteristics with the Apple and also the Rose, the flower most connected to the expression of heartfelt emotions. It's also worth pointing out that both Rose bushes and Hawthorn trees have thorns, hinting at a protective quality that creates a wildlife sanctuary as well as a tonic for the human heart.
This tree is steeped in Celtic mythology, and if you have been reading my posts, it's another one of the trees included in the ancient (as in used from the 4th - 7th centuries AD) Ogham alphabet.
According to Celtic lore, the Hawthorn tree has a strong connection to the world of the fairies. One informative website speculates that the leaves seem to quiver and move without any breeze, indicating the likely presence of fairies. The author of this site emphasizes that these beings don't have the reputation of the sweet, whimsical Tinkerbell types. Instead, they have been considered mischief makers who can cause all manner of problems if you somehow displease them. "Fall asleep under a hawthorn tree, it is said, and you are likely to be kidnapped and taken to the underworld."
Botanist Diana Beresford-Kroeger uses the Celtic word sioga for faries which translates as "wee folk" or "people of good deeds." You might say that using these more flattering terms may help to keep one on their good side!
Due to her impressive knowledge of ancient Celtic wisdom, Beresford-Kroeger explains in her book To Speak for the Trees that the Druidic doctors used Hawthorn to treat non specific weakness. This likely referred to issues stemming from a weak heart. As a modern biochemist, she elaborates on how this tree is used in medicine today as a cardio tonic specifically targeting "the left ascending coronary artery which is the transport system for feeding the muscles of the heart...allowing a greater blood flow to oxygenate this vital muscular pump."
Considering a long history of heart disease in my family, I have come to think of this herb as a personal ally and one that has helped to support my cardio vascular system, keeping it in a healthy place for several decades. I like to quote the rather un-clinical words of clinical herbalist David Hoffmann when he writes that "Hawthorn berries will move the heart to normal function in a gentle way." Gentle here implies a non aggressive approach and one that calls for trust, patience and consistency.
When teaching about or suggesting this herb, I always include a cautionary note about how herbs such as Hawthorn are recommended to be used as a preventative measure--for instance, before blood pressure gets out of range. It's a good example of approaching plant medicine with respect for its traditional use and awareness of possible interactions with modern pharmaceuticals. Anyone already managing blood pressure with prescription medication who wants to switch to a natural remedy like Hawthorn must do this gradually and only under the care and monitoring of a qualified healthcare practitioner.
Writing about this plant is a way of honoring and expressing my gratitude for the healing gift it has given to me and many others. When I think about it, everyone could benefit from working with this plant in one of its many forms. Perhaps bumping our heart light up a notch from bright to brilliant might help to diffuse any existing or potential shadows.
As always, thanks for letting me share my thoughts and journey with you. I welcome your input, so if you want to submit a comment, scroll down to the bottom of this post. If you are interested in booking a personal session, you can do this here:
You can also contact me via email at: my.plant.allies@gmail.com
For now, here's wishing you wellness, wisdom and bloomin' vibes!
What a beautiful way to honor the heart. I appreciate the compliment of lore and healing tips in this article. Thank you. -Lynn