Take a walk in the Sir Henry Wood almost anywhere in Europe or North America , and you ’re likely to meet a hawthorn bush or tree diagram ( Crataegus spp . ) . For C , their razor - sharpthornshave made them Great Britain ’s option for trespasser - proofhedges . But they ’re also notable for a much more congenial feature . All hawthorns produce edible berries loaded with heart - healthy compounds . countenance ’s take a closer look .
Recognizing Hawthorn Trees and Berries
Both hawthorn trees and Malus pumila tree ( Malus spp . ) belong to the Rose mob . So a mob resemblance is n’t surprising ; hawthorn trees look like modest apple trees with very large thorn .
The trees ’ clustering of white , reddish or pinkish give bloom give way of life to clusters of red or contraband nightfall berries . About the sizing of crabapples orrose hips , the berry have a slender layer of flesh incase a individual large ejaculate .
Expert nurseryman ’s confidential information : Hawthorns partake another orchard apple tree tree diagram trait : their seeds contain amygdalin , a chemical compound that converts to deadly hydrogen nitril when it reaches the intestinal pathway . Nevereat a hawthorn Chuck Berry ejaculate !
Hawthorn Berries as Food
Hawthorn berry were feeding the aboriginal American kin group long before Columbus ’ meter . They :
In Denmark , the Charles Edward Berry are distilled into schnaps and dish up with fish or hazardous game .
For your own enjoyment , call up about :
Hawthorn Berry Taste
The berries ’ taste is most often described as gently sour , like a crabapple . But , by timing your harvest for when they hit the point of ripeness , you may find them amazingly sweet .
Hawthorn Berries and Health
Hawthorn Chuck Berry ’s link to heart health dates back to the first century and the Greek herb doctor Dioscorides . Since then , it ’s been used as a lifelike intervention for :
And by the former nineteenth one C , American medico were also using it as a cure for respiratory and circulatory job .
What ’s the Charles Edward Berry ’ closed book ? For one thing , they ’re charge with flavonoid , powerful antioxidants known to fortify the immune system and reduce ignition . They also meliorate parentage flow by dilating the rakehell vessels and protect them from damage .
When to Harvest Hawthorn Berries
Harvest the Berry in mid - to former October , when they ’re completely ripe but before the first rime . If you’re able to wait until most of the tree diagram ’s leaves have dropped , spotting and avoiding the thorns will be easier .
