Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Crataegus monogyna
Family: Rosaceae
Part used: Berry, Leaf, Flower
Taste: Sour, Sweet
Temperature: Warm
Moisture: Neutral

No pre-1900 source found for this exact plant. The one European writer gives astringency rather than a temperature, and the Chinese books describe a different hawthorn.

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Insufficient safety data; avoid

While breastfeeding

Generally regarded as safe during breastfeeding; limited data suggests compatibility.

For children

Avoid therapeutic doses under 12

Cautions

Caution with cardiac glycosides; consult physician if on cardiac medications

General contraindications

Insufficient safety data; avoid

Stewardship

Hawthorn is widely cultivated and wild-abundant in temperate Europe and North America. Flowers, leaves, and berries all medicinal. Stewardship: the 'heart of the hedge' (Culpeper) — plant a hawthorn hedge as long-term medicine for place.

In the traditional record

Hawthorn — Crataegus species sacred in many European traditions; used since ancient Greece; mentioned in medieval herbals for heart strength

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.