Are Hawthorn Berries Toxic To Dogs – Harvesting hawthorn berries is a novelty for me this year. They are sweet and mild if you get them at the right time, and in years past I tasted them too early in the fall. This year the Washington hawthorn was sweet and mild in late October. But by then the one-seeded hawthorn had started to rot, so next year I’ll look for them in mid-October.
I credit Josh Fecteau’s recent post on hawthorn with inspiring me to try hawthorn berries again. As Josh points out, there are many species of hawthorn, maybe 50 in New England. And in all of North America, perhaps a thousand species, according to George Symonds (from his excellent book, The Tree Identification Book: A New Method for Practical Tree Identification and Recognition).
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Are Hawthorn Berries Toxic To Dogs
My favorite tree ID study guide). Fortunately, you don’t need to be able to identify a specific species. You only need to know that it is a hawthorn, because all hawthorns have edible berries. HOWEVER, like apple seeds, hawthorn seeds contain cyanide and should not be eaten. Don’t panic; just spit out the seeds.
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Why bother with hawthorn? They are beautiful, interesting and delicious wild edibles with known health benefits. Some people use the berries to make hawthorn jelly, but I haven’t tried that yet. You can use berries, leaves and flowers to make tea. Scroll down to see how I make hawthorn berry extract.
I will describe two types here to demonstrate the general characteristics. This should help you recognize a hawthorn when you see one, but I do
If you are unsure if you have hawthorn when foraging, please check additional sources until you are sure before eating the berries.
It grows in the form of a small tree or a large bush, at the end of spring it blooms with white flowers. Berries turn red in September (here), but sweeten later. By October 31st, they were sweet and may have peaked a bit. Each berry has 3-5 seeds.
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The leaves are lobed and toothed as you can see in my photo above. Many other types of hawthorn have similar leaves. The tree is armed with long spines, up to about 3 inches in length. However, with reasonable care, you can easily pick the berries that tend to hang from the branches. Later in the season it will be even easier when many of the leaves have fallen and are no longer covering the thorns.
Also called common hawthorn, it is a European native that escaped cultivation and naturalized in North America. It’s sometimes called an invasive plant, but I don’t see it often, and when I do, it’s not that many in one area. It may be invasive in other parts of the country, but it doesn’t seem to be particularly aggressive here. Similar to Washington hawthorn, single-seeded hawthorn grows as a shrub or small tree and bears clusters of white flowers in late spring. The oval red berries ripen slightly earlier (than Washington hawthorn) in the fall and contain one seed (hence the name). The toothed leaves are more deeply lobed than the Washington hawthorn, but the spines are much smaller, only about 1/2 inch to an inch long.
Hawthorns are common in the forest understory here in Massachusetts, but they are skinny specimens that do not produce well. It’s too shady in the forest. To find fruit-rich hawthorn, look for sunny spots such as scrub fields and thickets, at the edges of pastures and along streams. They’re often planted as ornamentals, so if your friend has one and doesn’t mind you picking the berries, you’ll have an easy foraging experience at your fingertips.
This is my first experience with hawthorn berries and I use them to make the extract using the same process you would use to make vanilla extract. I hope to use hawthorn extract as a flavoring in cooking and baking. I filled a clean canning jar about 3/4 full with berries, poured 80% vodka over them, and closed the lid. I don’t know how long it will take to get enough flavor from the berries, so I’ll be checking it daily. I know other extracts (like vanilla extract) take weeks to get, so that’s what I’m expecting here. Indoor gardening is a great way to relieve stress, and when you’re doing it for your beloved pet, it’s even better knowing your pet is safe.
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However, there are many plants that can be very poisonous to your pet if they end up consuming them.
Dogs are one of the most inquisitive pets around, and they are more likely to chew on your plants.
Therefore, when choosing indoor gardening, you should try to purchase plants that are safe for pets, and the good thing is that there are several safe indoor plants that you can choose from.
If you want to have a tropical look at home, then bananas are the best choice and they are a great alternative to elephant ears.
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Banana plants have lush green leaves that are huge and non-toxic. This stunning plant has about fifty species and is known to be native to:
Dwarf banana plants are great as houseplants, but you can even grow them outdoors as there are taller varieties.
As the name suggests, Boston fern belongs to the fern category. This means this plant looks stunning indoors when hung in baskets.
Haworthia is a stunning succulent. They are similar to aloe vera plants, but are not toxic to your pets if they consume them.
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Haworthia has a stunning zebra design on its foliage that can add an aesthetic touch to your indoor garden.
Bromeliads are a group of plants that grow in high humidity. They love the sun and can even survive indoors.
Bromeliads have vibrant foliage that looks stunning in any home. Blooms are not easy on this plant, but you can get bromeliads to bloom again.
But as soon as bromeliads grow flowers, it means they will die soon. You cannot save your plant from this process as this is the life cycle of bromeliads.
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A spider plant is another plant you want to have, especially if you have dogs in your home
They have been known to survive attacks from the most notorious plant killers and look stunning when hung from a basket.
It is always best to grow them indoors as they need to live in a controlled environment. However, you can easily propagate orchids by stem cuttings.
Calathea is another low-maintenance plant that is safe to keep indoors with pets. Its leaves are the most stunning part due to the beautiful patterns on them.
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So, if you want to have your own calathea plant collection, check out these 12 stunning calathea varieties that you can grow at home.
The African violet is a low-maintenance plant known for its tiny flowers, which have the following shades:
They are one of the ideal plants for home maintenance. Its binomial nomenclature and basic plant care requirements include:
This plant is an herb that is often used in cooking and is as common as rosemary or oregano. But unlike rosemary and oregano, thyme won’t make your pets sick.
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Despite the long vines that the Lipstick Plant has, it is completely safe for your dogs (in case)
Sage is another herb commonly used in food. It is also safe for pets.
The pea plant, like other houseplants with red leaves, is a unique, one-of-a-kind plant that has dark leaves with several pale pink spots on them.
It is also a hardy plant that can withstand bright sunlight that can be too strong for other houseplants.
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The Friendship Plant, also known as the Moon Valley Pilea, is a charming houseplant that has folded ombre-colored leaves.
The colors on the leaves vary from dark red-brown to bright green. It is also a plant that does not require care and is quite resistant.
Basil is another garden herb that is often used in cooking. Not only is it pet-friendly, but it can also make your pasta and pizza taste amazing.
The wax plant, more commonly known as the hoya plant, is a beautiful plant with thick green leaves and tiny wax-like flowers.
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Venus flytrap is an intimidating plant; however, apart from harming small insects, as they are carnivorous in nature, it cannot harm your pets.
Hawthorn is a stunning tree that can be grown as a dwarf tree, or if planted outdoors it can grow into a larger tree.
When it begins to bloom, it will produce white flowers, which in turn will turn into red berries. These berries are even good for dogs as they are used as a supplement for them.
Crepe myrtle is not a large plant, but you can prune it to give it a bushy and tree-like appearance.
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Lace Flower Vine is a vibrant plant that looks best when hung in baskets. This plant is also considered undemanding in care, has long, hanging stems