HAWTHORN AND ITS ATTRIBUTES
The hawthorn is a native tree which has long been associated with
, and utilised by man, as hedges that are almost impenetrable, and for medicinal and culinary purposes, with many other uses such as the production of walking sticks. There are two species found in the countryside of north west England, the common hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and the Midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata.
The genus name Crataegus comes from the Greek kratos meaning strength and refers to the hard wood of this member of the rose family. The species name monogyna alludes to one Pistol , from Greek mono meaning one and gyna meaning a female. The genus name of the latter species laevigata means smooth referring to the bark {of younger trees}
Sometimes the two species cross pollinate producing decorative hybrids which are employed as ornamental trees in parks and gardens. The latter is usually encountered as a tree rather than a hedge or low shrub and is much more tolerant of shade, hence it is often found in woodland situations.
To differentiate the two species one needs to look firstly at the flowers produced by the two species. The Midland Hawthorn tends to bloom a few weeks earlier than the common hawthorn. Those of an inquisitive nature may look at the flower to see that the Midland hawthorn has two or three styles unlike the common hawthorn which only produces one. When the tree is adorned with foliage it is noticeable that the leaf of the common hawthorn is deeply lobed and longer than it is broad. Conversely those of the Midland hawthorn are shallowly lobed and the lobes are usually broadest above the middle of the blade.
During the autumn they may be told apart by crushing the fleshy part away from the haw and counting the seeds within. The common hawthorn has but one seed, while those of the Midland hawthorn have two or even three. The leaves of the hawthorn may appear early in the year as early as February or March. The twigs are fully armed with dark, stout and sharp thorns.
The flowers which appear from May until the end of June are collectively known as "may". The old adage "never cast a clout until may is out" does not, as many people believe, refer to the month of May, but to the flowers of the hawthorn. The flowers have a heady scent and they are succeeded by the fruits known as haws. They are green at first but quite quickly begin the process of change , to the familiar red berries. During October hordes of migrant redwings from northern Europe gorge themselves on the fruits. However, they face fierce competition from native birds such as the mistle thrush, which guard the trees showing a great deal of courage defending their territory and food. Indeed, hawthorns depend greatly on birds to aid dispersal of seed via their droppings. Any that fall on the floor are eagerly taken by small mammals such as the wood mouse and bank vole.
MEDICINAL AND CULINARY USES----The leaves of hawthorn have long been eaten by all age groups but in particular by children in rural areas in days gone by. The leaves are at their best when in bud and just before they open. While at this stage of their development they were added to pie fillings. The young open leaves were placed in sandwiches and also added to salads. When dried the foliage was once smoked as tobacco. The leaves were also utilised as a substitute for tea, which was said to dilute the blood vessels, especially those near to the heart.
The flowers and haws were said to be beneficial to the circulation system, they were also employed in wines, syrups and liquers. They are beneficial to the heart by strengthening it, however, it is not a quick "fix" for heart problems and of little use for acute heart pains. it may well be of benefit to smokers and those with ageing hearts by building the heart's strength, but this is only achieved by taking hawthorn over a long and sustained period of time, months rather than weeks, however, once the heart is strengthend it is claimed to remain so.
The pulped leaves and /or the haws has been utilised as a poultice in days gone by , which was considered to be excellent at drawing splinters and thorns from the skin. A tea {infusion} made from the fresh haws is considered a general tonic and contains vitamin C.
Myths and legends.---vast bunches of flowers were once gathered in archaic times to adorn maypoles, but they were also sold door to door. However, it was considered to be unlucky in many regions to take hawthorn twigs and flowers indoors. It was believed that doing this would almost certainly lead to the death of a family member during that year. Indeed, science has revealed that one of the chemicals found within the flower is also produced by a human corpse. Nevertheless, the flowers were made into garlands and sold in knots {bunches}. The rhyme "here we go gathering nuts in May" is thought to have been "Here we go gathering knots in May" and corrupted over the passing of time. For the latter is a more apt rhyme for nuts in the wild cannot be found during May.
In some parts, it is believed that the crown of thorns placed on the head of Christ during the crucifixion was constructed from hawthorn. legend claims that due to this painful crown, the hawthorn can be heard to grown on Good Friday. In pagan times the blossom of the tree was associated with fertility and many country traditions have emerged from this fact.
During the Land Enclosures that occurred in England from 1845 there were hundreds of miles of hawthorn hedgerows planted by privileged land owners. This was to keep the livestock in and people out!. hedges of hawthorn were regularly layered in order to maintain vigour and to prolong the working life of the hedgerow. This skill is still practised today and during the summer months there are annual hedge layering competitions held through out the country. Sadly many of the hundreds of miles of hedgerow has now been lost, due to them being grubbed out to make access room for large modern day agricultural machinery. These hedgerows act as "roadways", which enable small mammals to move around the countryside in relative safety.
The name hawthorn is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon haeg thorn, which translates as hedge thorn.
HAWTHORN AND ITS ATTRIBUTES
By: DAVE-D.A.L. ONE
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