Hawthorn

For heart health - are there certain species of Crataegus that are more medicinal than others, or are they all similarly active? I am interested in growing a couple Crataegus trees here on our property, as a future medicine chest for my husband and me... but I am curious if there are certain species of Crataegus that I should be looking for since heart medicine in the intended use.

(We live on the east coast of the US, zone 7a. Several species of Crataegus grow wild in this region. If the wild species are suitable, all the better!)

Thank you!

~Rachel

Hi Rachel,
We are looking into growing Hawthorn berry too. Great for the heart.

I looked up Mountain Rose Herbs, this is where I usually buy the hawthorn...https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/hawthorn-berries/profile


Crataegus is a thorny shrub or tree with stems and trunks that consist of hard wood and gray bark, often having tri-lobed leaves and white flowers that are similar to other genera in the Rosaceae or Rose family and bearing bright red berries. There are around 280 known species, several of which are used in traditional medicine and may be used interchangeably. Generally C. laevigata (synonym C. oxyacantha) and C. monogyna are found in commerce. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), C. pinnatifida is used. Crataegus oxyacantha is derived from the Greek 'kratos', meaning hardness and referring to the wood, 'oxcus' which means 'sharp', and 'akantha' which is a thorn. In several countries in Europe, in particularly Germany, the hawthorn was used as a hedgerow, 'haw' being an older term for 'hedge.' This shrub was also referred to as 'whitethorn' due to its light bark.
C. mongyna or English hawthorn is native to the northern temperate forests of Europe and has become widely naturalized in the United States.

Hope one or many of these species will thrive in your climate.

Thank you, Sena! I will check those out ☺

~Rachel