Crataegus laevigata
| Crataegus laevigata | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 20' |
| Width: | 20' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Crataegus laevigata (common name: midland hawthorn)
Propagation: Seed - this is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame, some of the seed will germinate in the spring, though most will probably take another year. Stored seed can be very slow and erratic to germinate, it should be warm stratified for 3 months at 15°c and then cold stratified for another 3 months at 4°c[1]. It may still take another 18 months to germinate[2]. Scarifying the seed before stratifying it might reduce this time[3]. Fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also speed up the germination process[K]. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (as soon as the embryo has fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens) and sow it immediately in a cold frame. If timed well, it can germinate in the spring[3]. If you are only growing small quantities of plants, it is best to pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow them on in individual pots for their first year, planting them out in late spring into nursery beds or their final positions. When growing larger quantities, it might be best to sow them directly outdoors in a seedbed, but with protection from mice and other seed-eating creatures. Grow them on in the seedbed until large enough to plant out, but undercut the roots if they are to be left undisturbed for more than two years.
Cultivation: A very easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained moisture retentive loamy soil but is not at all fussy[4][5]. Once established, it succeeds in excessively moist soils and also tolerates drought[5]. It grows well on a chalk soil and also in heavy clay soils[5]. A position in full sun is best when plants are being grown for their fruit, they also succeed in semi-shade though fruit yields and quality will be lower in such a position[4][5]. Most members of this genus succeed in exposed positions, they also tolerate atmospheric pollution[5].. A true woodland species, it grows well in quite dense shade[6][7].
A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -18°c[8].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[5]. Closely allied to C. monogyna, it often hybridizes with that species in the wild when growing in its proximity[7].
There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value[5].
Seedling trees take from 5 - 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year[K].
The flowers have a foetid smell somewhat like decaying fish. This attracts midges which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones[9].
Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted[4].
An important food plant for the larvae of many lepidoptera species[10].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Sweden to Spain, eastwards to Poland.
Habitat: Woods, hedges, thickets etc on clays and heavy loams, especially in E. Britain[6][7]. Where found in hedges it is often as a relict of ancient woodland[7].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[11][12][13][14]. A dry and mealy texture, they are not very appetizing[K]. The fruit can be used for jams and preserves[12]. The fruit pulp can be dried, ground into a meal and mixed with flour in making bread etc[15][14]. The fruit is about 1cm in diameter[5]. There are up to five fairly large seeds in the centre of the fruit, these often stick together and so the effect is of eating a cherry-like fruit with a single seed[K].
Young leaves and young shoots - raw[16][17]. A tasty nibble, they are nice in a salad[K].
Young leaves are a tea substitute[18][15][17][14].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[13][18][14].
Medicinal: Hawthorn is an extremely valuable medicinal herb. It is used mainly for treating disorders of the heart and circulation system, especially angina[19]. Western herbalists consider it a 'food for the heart', it increases the blood flow to the heart muscles and restores normal heart beat[19]. This effect is brought about by the presence of bioflavonoids in the fruit, these bioflavonoids are also strongly antioxidant, helping to prevent or reduce degeneration of the blood vessels[19].
The fruit is antispasmodic, cardiac, diuretic, sedative, tonic and vasodilator[20][12][18][15][21]. Both the fruits and flowers of hawthorns are well-known in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic and modern research has borne out this use. The fruits and flowers have a hypotensive effect as well as acting as a direct and mild heart tonic[22]. They are especially indicated in the treatment of weak heart combined with high blood pressure[22], they are also used to treat a heart muscle weakened by age, for inflammation of the heart muscle, arteriosclerosis and for nervous heart problems[18]. Prolonged use is necessary for the treatment to be efficacious[22]. It is normally used either as a tea or a tincture[22].
Hawthorn is combined with ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) to enhance poor memory, working by improving the blood supply to the brain[19].
The bark is astringent and has been used in the treatment of malaria and other fevers[23].
The roots are said to stimulate the arteries of the heart[24].
Usage: A good hedge plant, it is very tolerant of neglect and is able to regenerate if cut back severely, it makes a good thorny stock-proof barrier[7] and resists very strong winds. It can be used in layered hedges[4][25].
The plant is often used as a rootstock for several species of garden fruit such as the medlar (Mespilus germanica) and the pear (Pyrus communis sativa)[20].
Wood - very hard and tough but difficult to work[23][15][26]. It has a fine grain and takes a beautiful polish but is seldom large enough to be of great value[20]. It is used for tool handles and making small wooden articles etc[20][23][15][26]. The wood is valued in turning and makes an excellent fuel, giving out a lot of heat, more so even than oak wood[20]. Charcoal made from the wood is said to be able to melt pig iron without the aid of a blast[20].
Pollinators: Midges
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Pollution: Tolerates environmental pollution.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Late Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: C. oxyacantha. C. oxyacanthoides.
Links
References
- ↑ Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Beckett, Kenneth and Gillian Beckett. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold, 1979.
- ↑ Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Shepherd, F. W.. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society, 1974.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.