Frosted Hawthorn Berries – , or Hawthorn, is a genus of shrub or small tree containing many species and varieties distributed throughout North Carolina from swamps and shallow riverbeds in the east to higher mountain ridges in the west.
, or waxy hawthorn, is a native shrubby tree in the rose family found over much of the eastern United States and Canada. It can be variable according to the part of the country where it is found and at some time it is considered as more than one species. It tends to grow in woodland margins, rocky slopes, stream banks and roadsides. The name of the species
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Frosted Hawthorn Berries
Like most Hawthorns, the Waxy-fruited Hawthorn, has straight thorns and 2.5 inches long, white flowers that occur in the Spring, and fruit that ripens to red and has a whitish wax coating. The tree branches irregularly and widely and reaches a height of 20 feet with a trunk up to 8 inches across. The waxy Hawthorn is easy to grow and prefers full or partial sun in well-drained but moist soil conditions or wet loam or clay-loam soil with some rocky materials. Siting the plant in full sun will encourage fruit quantity, with a lower yield in obscure conditions. When grown from seed, the trees take 5 to 8 years before they begin to bear fruit; grafted trees often flower profusely in their third year. Tolerates strong winds and drought, but does not do well in maritime conditions with exposure to salt air. This tree is hard to find sold commercially.
Frosted Sloes Escape Both Bottle And Beak
#deciduous#small tree#white flowers#shrub#wildlife plant#native tree#moth#nectar plant#native bush#cover plant#food source wildlife#NC natives# edible fruit#pollinator plant#Braham Arboretum#larva host plant#bird friendly #spring spring nectar#mammals#butterfly friendly#nectar plant mid spring#non toxic to horses#non toxic to -dogs#non-toxic to cats#red-spotted purple butterfly#grey hairstreak butterfly#viceroy butterflies October/November, after the first frost, is also the time to pick hawthorn berries. The Hawthorn is relatively unused as a hedgerow berry which is mainly used for Hawthorn gin or Hawthorn brandy. It can also be used to make jam or jelly. Hawthorn gin is much nicer than sloe gin. It’s not that sweet and syrupy, it actually tastes more like a fortified wine like a dry sherry, than a liqueur. It is worth maturing. Hawthorn gin made now will be perfect next Christmas. If you don’t think you can wait that long, then make double the quantity – some to drink young this year, and some to mature for the next. Make batches anyway as it is much moreish!
Sort, top and tail the berries. This is time consuming and not the end of the world if you don’t – however it will result in a sediment that is difficult to suppress later and will hinder the clarity of your gin. Pack the berries in a preservation jar, sprinkling a little sugar between the layers. Once you have reached the top of the jar (leaving some space to allow for stirring), fill with cheap gin (supermarket own brand will do). Seal and place in a cupboard. Every few days or so give the jar a shake.
After 4 weeks the berries have lost their color and the gin has turned a shade of rosé. (If you leave it longer before straining, the flavor will intensify. However, a muddy sediment is more likely to occur. If you have bright plump berries you can let the gin macerate for several months, but if the berries are hard. and discolored fix -one month is enough.) Once strained, filter into bottles and mature for another three months at least. Enjoy in moderation!
Hawthorn also has a history as an herb used by herbalists to treat high blood pressure. It is also beneficial for the heart as it has vasorelaxant properties and is very high in bioflavonoids – also good for your heart. This is well supported by research. (If your blood pressure is already high and you are taking medication you should not just stop taking it. However, in conjunction with a consultation with a medical herbalist, you may be able to reduce your dependence on the drugs.) The best way to take hawthorn berry is as a tincture. A tincture is basically the herb (in this case the hawthorn berry) macerated (soaked) in alcohol to form a tincture. So basically Hawthorn gin is a form of tincture. And a little nip taken regularly, like in the country, can help keep the heart and circulation healthy. Tea made with leaves or berries is also a healthy way to keep your blood pressure low, especially if combined with flowers and lime leaves. Berries Hawthorn (Hawberries) and Mayhaw (Crataegus). There are many different Hawthorns in North America. Around the world, there are hundreds of them. Most of the Hawthorns you find here are naturalized Hawthorns that came from other parts of the world. Hawthorns are from the same family as Apples and Roses, so it’s no big surprise that the easiest way to describe a Hawthorn in general is that it looks like a smaller apple tree with large thorns and fruit that look like Rose hips or Crabapples. Be careful, the largest of the wooden thorns can be very dangerous – they are hard, sharp and strong and go through the meat with ease. There is also a serious danger from the fruit of this tree – THE SEEDS ARE VERY POISONOUS. Never eat a seed – you have to take this seriously.
Frosted Hawthorn (crataegus Pruinosa)
Hawthorn has long been used medicinally for heart conditions. It is now believed that Hawthorn may act as a Beta Blocker similar to prescription Beta Blocker medications. Because of this, you should be careful about eating hawthorn berries if you are on such a drug, as the combined effect may be too strong. Link here to start further research on this topic. I have also read that it has now been shown to strengthen the heart, and you see Hawthorn sold in the vitamin section of drug stores and health food stores as a heart tonic. As I understand from my reading, it is the Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) that is used for that purpose. Whether or not the other Hawthorns you find in eastern North America have the same medicinal properties is something I cannot confirm or deny from my research.
There is another Hawthorn introduced from Europe which is called Smooth Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata). This I have read can be treated and used as if it were the Common Hawthorn as it has the same medicinal properties. However, there has been no proof offered to support this claim, so it’s a bit up in the air as far as I’m concerned. This and the Common Hawthorn also form hybrids. Below in the descriptions under Common Hawthorn is a picture of the hybrid.
I do not know the edibility of fruit from the majority of trees in the Hawthorn Genus. The three trees that make up the group known as the Mayhaws don’t even grow in my area, so my knowledge of them is limited to what I’ve read. Most of my familiarity is with the Common Hawthorn, but even then, I don’t really try to distinguish between the different Hawthorn from an eating perspective. As far as I know, none of the Hawthorns have poisonous fruit (except for the seeds which are very poisonous), but I can’t say if they are all edible. Do research on whatever you find, and experiment with small amounts and see if you like it. I have never met a Hawthorn with fruit that was really good in taste, but they are good to eat, and if properly cooked, not bad in small amounts. Even in the past, they were more or less a food to eat when other crops did poorly, not a food of first choice.
If you are collecting them for medicinal properties, it makes sense to collect them from the Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) as it seems unconfirmed that the others have the same properties, or if they do, how strong the medicinal properties are comparable from the different types.
Hawthorn Berries, Plants With The Latin Name Crataegus, Covered With Snow On A Branch Stock Photo, Picture And Royalty Free Image. Image 160988705
As for cooking with Common Hawthorn (and I’m thinking many others), you need to cook it and cook the very poisonous seeds once they are cooked – the poison remains in the seeds when you are cooking them. You can eat them fresh, but there are few of them, as the stone (one seed in the Common Hawthorn) takes up a good portion of each Hawberry, and besides, the taste is dull – and – some people report that it hurts in the stomach from food. of them raw. I don’t, but I only eat two or three raw at a time, and you might take more. Due to the medicinal effect mentioned above, I also suggest that you only eat small amounts of cooked or fresh Hawthorns at a time. If you’ve read this book to this point, you no doubt know that I try to err on the side of caution.
Basically, after collecting a bunch of them, you rub the