Black Hawthorn

Black Hawthorn, Wild Hawthorn

This species of the Hawthorn is the shrubby North American cousin with dark almost black fruits and white flowers. It is well suited for hedge plantings to attract wild life and provides berries, blooms and leaves for medicinal use. As is often the case in herbal medicine, some folks believe this Hawthorn to be inferior medicinally to the English Hawthorn varieties. However, Henriette Kress and Eaglesong Evans Gardner, two highly respected herbalists, have found it to be quite medicinally active as an antioxidant and heart tonic. Hawthorn has been traditionally used for high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats by gently slowing the heart rate and increasing general circulation. The tea has been used for kidney ailments and anxiety.

The Black Hawthorn grows throughout the Western US and spreads east through Idaho and Montana with its range going all the way to the Great Lakes. This Hawthorn is our native species and deserves respect in the herbal world and a spot in our Herbal Gardens. The small shrubby tree is a fantastic wild life magnet and its smaller size makes it a great choice for the herbal hedge! Hardy perennial Zones 3-9