Winter Resilience with Hawthorn & Rosehips

Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus spp.)

The red hawthorn berries come from a hardy tree or shrub which ranges in various shapes and sizes and can live to be hundreds of years old. This tree goes by many names including May Bush, May Tree, Tree of Chastity, White Thorn and Queen of May, just to name a few. Most of the Hawthorn tree s known to us in the United States are from the European species and were brought to us by the settlers. Hawthorn is used all over the world including in Arabic, Chinese, European and in modern Western medicine. In spring and summer they are abundant in beautiful white flowers which attract many pollinators. The leaves and flowers have wonderful medicine especially for calming and nourishing the nervous system. In fall, the tree is covered in clusters of vibrant red berries which not only provide medicine for us but are a great food source for many species of birds.

These berries are rich in anti-oxidants, flavonoids, vitamin C and vitamin B which are very beneficial for the immune system, nerve health and for nourishing and improving the functions of the heart. Many studies are showing how Hawthorn has many ways of supporting heart health including decongesting and strengthening the integrity and structure of the veins and arteries while also dilating them, all of which improve circulation. The nutrients help rebuild and tone heart tissue while strengthening and nourishing the heart muscle to improve its overall functions and normalize blood pressure. Hawthorn berries help maintain and prevent plaque build-up and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Since Hawthorn supports both the heart and nervous system it is one of my favorite herbs to help protect the heart and nerves against the damage stress can have especially for those prone to prolonged stress overtime. The cooling actions of hawthorn further aid with irritability, restlessness, anxiety and nervousness.

Hawthorn is praised for preventing and aiding with any heart condition including heart failure, heart disease, high cholesterol, high or low blood pressure, edema, angina and heart arrhythmia.

Another great and less reputable benefit of these red berries is on our connective tissues body wide. It helps with repairing damage, healing and strengthening our tendons, ligaments, muscles, digestive organs, liver, kidneys and our skin's collagen. As mentioned before it strengthens our vascular system which can be very beneficial for those who bruise easily, have leaky capillaries, varicose veins, spider veins and those with slow or weak circulation. In order to receive all these wonderful benefits, it is best to use the berry consistently and regularly as it does not accumulate or store in the body.

These delicious berries are mildly sour, sweet and astringent. They are great to use fresh or dried and can be made into almost any internal herbal preparation including tea, tinctures, glycerites, acetum/vinegar extracts, syrups, jams, jellies, pie, etc. You can even use the powder in your smoothies or for making herbal nut butter balls/bars.

The spirit medicine of hawthorn helps with releasing energetic blockages affecting the heart especially when there is a pattern of giving so much you neglect to nourish yourself. It helps provide a protective energy around the heart to aid with healing and to reduce vulnerability. Its protective nature is reflected in its doctrine of signature of having thorns on its branches.

Hawthorn has a long history in folklore medicine being known for its association with the fairies. There are many myths and stories about people being taken by the fairies into a hawthorn tree to the fairy realms where time passes differently and returning back to our realm years later. It is believed that you should never cut down a hawthorn tree otherwise you will have very bad luck and feel the wrath of the fairies. In pagan and wiccan traditions, witches have been known and are still known to dance under hawthorn trees.

Since the flowers bloom in May it is commonly referred to as May Bush, May Tree or Queen of May and has traditional uses in May Day celebrations and rituals. Hawthorn is believed to help enhance life and fertility but on the other hand it has also been associated with death most likely because the smell of the flowers is commonly compared to the smell of dead or decaying flesh.

"The fair maid who, the first of May goes to the fields at break of day,
And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, will ever after handsome be."


Rosehips (Rosa spp.)

The rose plant has been praised for hundreds of years throughout the world for their beauty, aroma and numerous healing benefits. Many folks, especially gardeners, are familiar with and have a love for the rose flowers and petals; however, the nourishing benefits of rosehip fruits are often underrated or even unknown.

If you leave the flowers on the rose bush and wait until they die back, you will start to see hip berries forming which turn from green to yellow to orange in the fall months and then becomes a bright red color once the weather starts to cool into the transition of winter. After the first frost they are considered to be fully ripe and ready to harvest. Cut them in half and scoop out the irritating hairs and seeds from inside. It can be easier and less messy to freeze the hips after cutting them in half and then scoop out the hair/seeds. You can use the hips fresh or dry them to use throughout the year. If you do use rosehips which are cultivated, make sure they are organically grown as roses tend to be heavily sprayed with harmful chemicals.

Rosehips are most known for their very high vitamin C content, their benefits for the immune system and to treat respiratory ailments, sore throats, colds and flu. They have a mild laxative effect especially with larger doses. It is believed that a cup of rosehip tea contains as much vitamin C as up to 6 oranges. Studies show that when compared to oranges, rosehips contain up to 25 percent more iron, 20 times more Vitamin C, 25 times the Vitamin A, and 28 percent more calcium. In addition, rosehips are a rich source of bioflavanoids, pectin, Vitamin E and K, selenium, manganese, the B-complex vitamins and contain many trace minerals.

The high quantities of vitamin A and C are very nourishing to the skin when consumed regularly. Those nourishing benefits in addition to the immune stimulating properties help aid with skin infections and various skin conditions such as rosacea and eczema. The cold pressed rosehip seed oil is prized and commonly used in facial and eye creams and general bath and body products.

Rosehips have a sour and astringent flavor to them and are often associated as having a tart flavor similar to cranberries but are milder. They are usually combined with sweet tasting herbs or fruits to synergize and mellow out their sour nature. They are great in tea infusions, especially as a cold infusion or sun tea. The tea makes a great remedy for sore throats especially when mixed with a little honey. Rosehips are frequently used in European and Scandinavian cuisine to make syrups, jams, jelly, candies, wines, soup, fruit drinks and fruit based baking. My personal favorite way to use rosehips is as a syrup along with elderberry and chai-like spices and as a jam (see recipes below).

Native Americans have been using rosehips as tea for thousands of years, and when the tea is finished, the hips were added to stews or soups. There was just too much nutrition in a rosehip to let it go to waste. Native Americans also believed rosehips brought good luck, and called in good spirits.

The magical and folklore uses of rosehips vary including being used to attract love, romance, peace, healing, abundance, wealth and protection. "The belly-shaped fruit, packed with seeds, is a symbol of prosperity and fertility. The fruits placed beneath the pillow protect the sleeper against nightmares and nasty spirits that seek to disturb the nightly peace." In order to receive these benefits, you can drink or eat them, carry them in a sachet bag or my favorite is to wear the hips strung on a necklace or bracelet.

"Nature is a good teacher; he who can read the nature well, he can learn sagacious things belong to life from it. Once you stepped in the nature, your philosophical education starts. A black vulture teaches you many things; a bear teaches you many things; a bird making its nest and a rosehip which resists being frozen, they teach you many things!"
~ Mehmet Murat Ildan

If you are lucky enough to have access to fresh hawthorn and/or rosehips, try adding them into your food as you would any other berry. Add the fresh berries to smoothies and juice blends. Add them to homemade syrups and add to ice cream, desserts and pancakes/waffles. I have seen recipes for hawthorn ketchup and jam and one of my most favorite and widely used jam is made from rosehips (recipe below). I even love to add a small part of either berry to my homemade cranberry sauce around the holidays. If you do not have access to the fresh berries, or they are not in season, use the dried berries instead.

Hawthorn Berry Tea  Using higher temperature water will yield a stronger tart and more bitter flavor while the colder steeping methods yield a milder tasting and sweeter infusion. The longer the tea steeps, the more "soapy" the infusion as the berries contain saponins.

Lunar/Solar Tea: My favorite way to make hawthorn berry tea is a moon or sun infusion. I use about 2-3 tsp of the berries per 8 ounces of water and allow them to infuse in cold or luke warm water for up to 8 hours under the moon or sun light. This yields a mild and delicious tea with tart and sweet undertones.
Standard Steep: If you like to use a standard steep method, use 2-3 tsp of berries per 8 ounces of water. Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat and pour it over the herbs. Cover and allow the berries to steep for 15-30 minutes. Strain and enjoy! 

Decoction/Simmer: 

Some people like to gently simmer the berries but I recommend keeping a close eye on it to make sure you do not actually boil or overcook the berries, damaging many of their benefits. Use 1 tsp per 8 ounces of water and gently simmer, covered, for up to 20 minutes. Allow it to cool to room temperature, strain and enjoy.

Stir your berries until all air bubbles are released and make sure there is enough alcohol/vinegar covering them so the berries are moving freely with an inch or so of extra liquid saturating them. Cover using a piece of unbleached parchment paper to protect the lining of the lid from leaching into your extract. Store the jar in a cool and dark place, shaking it every 1-3 days for anywhere between 2-6 weeks, depending on your preference. Strain using cheese or muslin cloth, squeezing out the liquid. Compost the remaining herbs. If you want a sweeter extract you can add a little honey to taste and mix well. Pour the tincture into a bottle, label and date. Store your hawthorn extract away from heat, light and moisture and away from children.