Crataegus species
Blue hawthorn
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Wikimedia Commons - Dominicus Johannes Bergsma
wikimedia· cc-by-sa
Wikimedia Commons - Dominicus Johannes Bergsma
Summary
Source: WikipediaA deciduous shrub with hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by midges. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils including very alkaline types. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist to wet soil but tolerates drought. Not frost tender, withstands strong winds and atmospheric pollution but not maritime exposure.
Description
A deciduous shrub with hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by midges. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils including very alkaline types. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist to wet soil but tolerates drought. Not frost tender, withstands strong winds and atmospheric pollution but not maritime exposure.
Edible Uses
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, used in pies and preserves, or dried for later use. The centre of each fruit holds up to five fairly large seeds that tend to stick together, giving the experience of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
No specific research has been recorded for this species, but the fruits and flowers of hawthorns in general are well established in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic — a use that modern research has supported. Both fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect and act as a mild, direct heart tonic. They are particularly indicated for a weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is needed for the treatment to be effective. It is typically taken as a tea or tincture.
Known Hazards
Overdose can cause cardiac arrhythmia and low blood pressure, while milder side effects include nausea and dizziness. Patients taking digoxin should avoid taking hawthorn.
Distribution
Temperate.
Where It Grows
North America, USA,
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seed. The seed need cold treatment. Plants can also be grafted.
Propagation
Sow seed as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a cold frame. Some seed will germinate the following spring, but most will likely take another year. Stored seed can be very slow and erratic — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°c, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°c, and even then germination may take a further 18 months. Scarifying before stratifying may reduce this time, and fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also help. Alternatively, harvest seed green (once the embryo is fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens) and sow immediately in a cold frame; if timed well, germination can occur in spring. For small quantities, pot seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in individual pots for the first year, planting out in late spring into nursery beds or final positions. For larger quantities, sow directly into an outdoor seedbed with protection from mice and other seed-eating animals, undercutting the roots if plants are to remain in the seedbed for more than two years.
Other Uses
The wood is heavy, hard, tough, and close-grained, making it useful for tool handles, mallets, and other small wooden items.
Notes
There are 200 or more Crataegus species.
References (2)
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 198
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
