Washington Hawthorn Tree Berries Safe For Chickens? – Harvesting Hawthorn berries is a new experience for me this year. They are sweet and tender if you get them at the right time, and in years past I have enjoyed them early in the fall. This year, the Washington hawthorn was sweet and mild in late October. But at that time, the hawthorn with one seed was starting to rot, so next year I will look for those in mid-October.
I owe it to Josh Fecteau’s recent hawthorn post, which inspired me to try hawthorn berries again. As Josh points out, there are many species of hawthorn, perhaps 50 in New England. And, in all of North America, maybe a thousand species, according to George Symonds (from his wonderful book Tree Identification: A New Method for Practical Identification and Classification of Trees.
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Washington Hawthorn Tree Berries Safe For Chickens?
, my favorite guide to learning tree identification). Fortunately, you don’t need to be able to identify specific species. You just need to know it’s 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 hawthorns? They are beautiful, interesting, and flavorful wild edibles with known health benefits. Some people use the berries to make hawthorn jelly, but I have yet to try this. The berries, leaves and flowers can be used to make tea. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see how I make hawthorn berry extract.
I will describe two types here, to show the common features. That should help you recognize a hawthorn when you see one, but the
If you are not sure if you have hawthorn when foraging, please check additional sources until you are SURE, before eating the berries.
This grows as a small tree or large shrub, and bears white flowers in late spring. The berries turn red in September (here), but are delicious later. On October 31st, they were sweet, and maybe a little past their peak. Each berry contains 3-5 seeds.
Hawthorn (crataegus Monogyna)
The leaves are flat and toothed, as you can see in my photo above. Many other species of hawthorn have similar leaves. The tree is heavily armed with long thorns, up to 3 inches long. However, with proper care, you can easily harvest berries, which tend to hang from the branch. It is easier later after many leaves have fallen and will not hide the thorns.
Also called the common hawthorn, this is a European native that survived cultivation and naturalized in North America. It’s sometimes called an invasive plant, but I don’t find it often, and when I do, there aren’t many in one place. Maybe it’s invasive in other parts of the country, but it doesn’t seem violent here. Like the Washington hawthorn, the single-seeded hawthorn grows as a shrub or small tree, and bears clusters of white flowers in late spring. The red rugose berries ripen earlier (than the Washington hawthorn) in the fall and contain one seed (hence the name). The leaves are more deeply toothed than those of the Washington hawthorn, but the thorns are much smaller, only about 1/2 inch to an inch long.
Hawthorns are common in the understory here in Massachusetts, but those are rough specimens that don’t bear fruit well. It is very shady in the forest. To find hawthorn fruit, look in sunny areas, such as bushes and shrubs, along meadows, and along streams. They are often grown as ornamentals, so if your friend has them and doesn’t mind picking berries, you have an easy chance of getting a treat on your hands.
This is my first experience using hawthorn berries, and I use them to make an extract, with the same process you would use to make vanilla extract. I hope to use hawthorn extract as a spice in cooking and baking. I filled a clean canning jar about 3/4 full with berries, covered it with 80 proof vodka, and sealed the jar. I’m not sure how long it will take to extract enough flavor from the berries, so I’ll check it every day. I know some extracts, (like vanilla extract) take weeks, so that’s what I’m expecting here.) is born in the southeast part of the country. They are cultivated for their beautiful flowers, brightly colored fruit, and lovely fall colors. A small tree, the Washington hawthorn makes a great addition to a garden or patio. Continue reading for tips on how to grow Washington hawthorn trees.
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If you’re considering growing a Washington hawthorn, you’ll find a lot to love about this native tree. It offers beautiful spring flowers that attract butterflies and bright fruits called haws that are loved by wild birds. These hawthorns are also lovely in autumn. The green leaves shine in shades of orange, purple, crimson, and purple.
Washington hawthorn trees do not grow taller than 30 m (9 m.) tall. Cultivated specimens may be very short. Those considering growing a Washington hawthorn will want to know that the branches have large spines, however. That makes them good candidates for a protective fence but probably not a good idea if you have pets or small children running around.
Before you start planting Washington hawthorn, make sure you are in the right climate. Washington hawthorn trees thrive in US Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8.
Instructions on how to grow Washington hawthorn are not difficult. Plant the tree in moist, well-draining soil in a sunny location. If you find the right place, Washington hawthorn care and maintenance will be minimal.
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These trees need regular watering after planting. When the roots are established, their need for water decreases. Still, limited watering is always part of its care.
Like other hawthorn trees, Washington hawthorns can be attacked by many different types of insects and diseases. Preventing or dealing with these things is important. Pests that attack these trees include aphids and pear slugs (sawfly larvae), but these can be eliminated by spraying water from a garden hose.
Borers only attack weak trees, so avoid this problem by keeping your hawthorn strong and healthy. These trees can be attacked by miners, cord bugs, and tent caterpillars. Spider mites can also be a problem, but all of these pests can be treated if caught early.
In terms of diseases, Washington hawthorn trees are susceptible to fire blight. Look for brown tips on branches that look burnt. Cut the tips of diseased branches a foot (30 cm.) or two beyond the rotten wood. Leaf rash and cedar hawthorn rust can also cause problems., hawthorn fossils found in the 1990s go back to the middle Miocene Epoch, 15 million years ago. The geological survey that discovered these ancient rocks was found in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
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The famous type of hawthorn comes from a group of Central Asia and Europe made up of about 100 species. Often, it grows as a single-stemmed tree with flowers that emit a strong odor. The berries it bears are often used in various medicinal preparations. They are also seen as a source of nutritious food.
The hawthorn fruit appears oblong, pear, or round in shape. The berries are usually the same size as the larger cultivated berries. Depending on its variety, the color of the berry can vary from red, orange-yellow, blue, black or yellow. Its flesh is very similar to that of a rose – dry and powdery.
Although hawthorn berries are not classified as poisonous, there are cases where they can cause serious side effects when eaten. Fruit seeds in
Family is known to contain the compound amygdalin which is a cyanide linked to sugar. When ingested, this compound can be converted to hydrogen cyanide as it travels to the small intestine.
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The reported lethal dose of hydrogen cyanide in humans was 0.54 mg/kg of body weight. The average absorbed dose at the time of death was estimated to be 1/4 mg of hydrogen cyanide per kilogram of body weight.
Meaning if you weigh 70 kg, your minimum lethal dose would be 37.8 mg or about 54 grams of crushed apple seeds (must be crushed so that the amygdalin meets the enzymes). This means that you will need to avoid eating 66 apples. I’d say it’s easy to do.
Like apples, when you eat hawthorn berries, it’s a good idea to spit out the seeds. An adult who accidentally eats a few pieces of his own seed should have no problems. However, in children, the negative effects are often more pronounced.
The flesh of the fruit itself is not poisonous. However, there are cases where people have reported an unpleasant aftertaste.
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In the spring, many people will collect the leaves before their colors change and use them in a salad. The same can be done with its flowers. Berries generally taste best after frost but they can