Crataegus monogyna

Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn, whitethorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It grows to about 10 metres (33 feet) tall, producing hermaphrodite flowers in late spring. The berry-like pomes (known as haws) contain a stone-encased seed. The plant is native to Europe, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world. The pome flesh is of little culinary interest due to its dryness, but is used to make jellies. The young leaves and petals are also edible.

Description

A small deciduous tree. It can grow to 9-14 m tall. The bark is greyish-brown with many small scales. The leaves are alternate. They are 2-3 cm long. The leaves have 5-7 jagged lobes. They turn yellow-brown in autumn. There are a pair of leafy growths near the base of each leaf. The thorns are short 1-2 cm. They are grey and straight. The flowers are single and red, pink or white. They have a scent. The fruit are small and red. It has a single style and fruit stone. The fruit are 6-8 mm across.

Edible Uses

The fruit, about 1cm in diameter, can be eaten raw or cooked, though it is not very appetizing raw and is more commonly used for jams and preserves. It can also be dried, ground, and mixed with flour for bread-making. Young shoots have a pleasant nutty flavour and make a good addition to salads. Dried leaves can be brewed as a substitute for china tea. The roasted seeds serve as a coffee substitute. Flowers are used in syrups and sweet puddings. As with other hawthorns, the fruit contains up to five fairly large seeds in the centre that tend to stick together, giving the impression of a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.

Traditional Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or made into jellies which are rich in Vitamin C. They are also ground into flour. The ripe fruit are eaten fresh. The young leaves are added to tossed salads. The young buds are used in spring puddings. The flowers are mixed with sugar and brandy and made into a liqueur. They are also used in syrups and sweet puddings. Dried leaves are used for tea.

Medicinal Uses

Hawthorn is a highly valued medicinal plant, used primarily for disorders of the heart and circulatory system, particularly angina. Western herbalists regard it as a 'food for the heart', increasing blood flow to the heart muscles and helping to restore a normal heartbeat. These effects are attributed to bioflavonoids in the fruit, which are also strongly antioxidant and help prevent or reduce degeneration of the blood vessels. The fruit is antispasmodic, cardiac, diuretic, sedative, tonic, and vasodilator. The fruits and flowers are well established as a heart tonic in herbal folk medicine, a use supported by modern research. They have a hypotensive effect and act as a mild direct cardiac tonic, indicated for weak heart with high blood pressure, age-weakened heart muscle, inflammation of the heart muscle, arteriosclerosis, and nervous heart complaints. Prolonged use is necessary for the treatment to be effective, typically taken as a tea or tincture. Combined with ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), hawthorn is used to address poor memory by improving blood supply to the brain. The bark is astringent and has been used to treat malaria and other fevers. The roots are said to stimulate the arteries of the heart.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It is native to Europe. In Chile it grows from sea level to 2,000 m altitude. It grows in areas with regular rain. It grows in full sun. It grows in the Sahara. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. It can tolerate frost and snow. Tasmania Herbarium. Arboretum Tasmania.

Where It Grows

Africa, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Europe, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Middle East, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, North Africa, North America, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Scandinavia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania, Tunisia, Turkey, USA,

Cultivation

A very easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained moisture retentive loamy soil but is not at all fussy. Succeeds in all but the very poorest acid soils. Once established, it succeeds in excessively moist soils and also tolerates drought. It grows well on a chalk soil and also in heavy clay soils. A position in full sun is best when plants are being grown for their fruit, they also succeed in semi-shade though fruit yields and quality will be lower in such a position. Most members of this genus succeed in exposed positions, they also tolerate atmospheric pollution. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -18°c. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus and with C. laevigata in the wild. There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value. Seedling trees take from 5 - 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year. The flowers have a foetid smell somewhat like decaying fish. This attracts midges which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones. Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted. In heavier shade they quickly become drawn and leggy, eventually dying. An important food plant for the caterpillars of many lepidoptera species, there are 149 insect species associated with this tree. Plants are susceptible to fireblight. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements, including nutrients and water. Some species of Hawthorn, including Crataegus monogyna, are self-fertile, but cross-pollination often improves fruit set. Hawthorn berries are typically harvested in late Summer to early Autumn. Hawthorn flowers in Spring. Hawthorn grows moderately fast, reaching maturity in about 5-10 years, depending on the species and growing conditions.

Propagation

Seed is best sown fresh in autumn in a cold frame; some will germinate the following spring, though most are likely to take a further year. Stored seed germinates slowly and erratically — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°C, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°C, and even then germination may take another 18 months. Scarifying before stratification may shorten this period, and fermenting the seed briefly in its own pulp can also help. Alternatively, harvest seed 'green' — once the embryo is fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens — and sow immediately in a cold frame for possible spring germination. For small batches, pot seedlings individually as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on for the first year before planting out in late spring. For larger quantities, sow direct into a protected outdoor seedbed and undercut the roots if plants are to remain in situ for more than two years.

Other Uses

Hawthorn makes an excellent hedge or windbreak. It is very tolerant of cutting and neglect, capable of regenerating when cut back severely, and forms a thorny, stock-proof barrier that resists strong winds. It is widely used in layered hedges. The cultivar 'Stricta' has produced a hedge 3.5 metres tall in an exposed maritime position at Rosewarne in north Cornwall. The wood is very hard and tough, though difficult to work; it is used for tool handles and valued in turning. It also makes a good fuel, producing a high heat output. Hawthorn flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, attracting bees, flies, and butterflies. The fruit and seeds provide food for birds and small mammals, the dense thorny branches offer shelter and nesting sites for birds, and rough bark and fallen leaf litter create overwintering habitat for invertebrates and soil organisms.

Production

It is fast growing.

Other Information

Fruit are sold in local markets.

Notes

There are 200 or more Crataegus species. It can be invasive.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Alic, Aluc, Arc, Biancospino, Bossu, Calabriche, Common Hawthorn, Dara givij, Digdigan, Enovrati glog, Espinero, Espino albar, Galaginya, Galagonya, Geyikdikeni, Givij izaran, Glog, Gloginja, Gloginje, Gogic, Guhij, Guhujsor, Hagton, Hedgerow Thorn, Hloh, Istengyumolcs, Istengyumolcsfa, Kirmizi alic, Majoleto, Majuelo, Majueta, Meidoom, Morrisi, Murrisi, Okuzgotu, One-seeded hawthorn, Paducel, Peumo alemain, Quickthorn Haw, Singleseed Hawthorn, Sipka, Yemisen

References (85)

• Abbet, C., et al, 2014, Ethnobotanical survey on wild alpine food plants in Lower and Central Valais (Switzerland). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 151 (2014) 624–634
• Ahmad, S. A. & Askari, A. A., 2015, Ethnobotany of the Hawraman Region of Kurdistan Iraq. Harvard Papers in Botany, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2015, pp. 85–89
• Ari, S., et al, 2015, Ethnobotanical survey of plants used in Afyonkarahisar-Turkey. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 11:84
• Blamey, M and Grey-Wilson, C., 2005, Wild flowers of the Mediterranean. A & C Black London. p 76
• Blanco-Salas, J., et al, 2019, Wild Plants Potentially Used in Human Food in the Protected Area “Sierra Grande de Hornachos” of Extremadura (Spain). Sustainability 2019, 11, 456

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