Hawthorn has a long history in folklore, religion and herbal medicine. In ancient times it was associated with fertility and used as a charm to ward off witchcraft and vampires as well as treat a variety of ailments. By medieval times it had become a symbol of purity, protection, and divine intervention and was associated with the Virgin Mary. Hawthorn’s early bloom time was associated with the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bear a son by the power of the Holy Spirit and become the mother of Jesus Christ. The link between hawthorn and Mary was strengthened by the white color of the flowers traditionally associated with Mary’s purity, and the thorns of the plant which made it useful in hedges that provided protection, another attribute associated with Mary.
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Common hawthorn is a thorny deciduous shrub or small tree and a member of the rose family, Rosaceae, that also includes cherry, lady’s mantle and almond. It is native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia but was introduced into the US and has become invasive in some areas. Also known as mayblossom, whitethorn, one-seed hawthorn, single-seeded hawthorn and English hawthorn, plants grow 10-30’ tall, are densely branched, and have gray- brown bark with vertical orange fissures. The glossy green leaves are 1-1.5” long and have 3-7 deeply incised lobes. Clusters of 5-25 small white, five-petaled flowers have numerous red stamens and an unpleasant odor. They appear in late spring and give way to a one seeded red berry-like fruit that is attractive to birds and other wildlife that aid in seed dissemination.
The genus name, Crataegus, comes from Greek word κράτος (krátos) meaning strength or hardness and refers to the hard wood of the plant. The specific epithet, monogyna, comes from the Greek words μόνος (monos) meaning single, and γυνή (gunḗ) meaning woman, referring to the presence of a single ovary in the flower.
Hawthorn likes full sun to partial shade and average, medium moist, well-drained acid to alkaline soil in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8. Plants may be damaged by gall mites, aphids, leaf spot, and fireblight. They are tolerant of drought and pollution but may become invasive because of prolific seed production and wide seed dissemination. Propagation is by seed.
Karen