Hawthorn has to be my favourite hedgerow plant, I just love watching it change with the seasons from the most delicate frothy white flowers to the abundant red berries that mean Autumn is on its way.
These beautiful red berries are a very rich source of flavonoids and antioxidants which are essential for disease resistance and health of smooth muscle tissue.
Hawthorn is probably best known for its positive effect on the heart and circulation and is considered a valuable and safe heart tonic in fact it was often referred to as “The nurse of the heart”
Its main benefit is to help steady or strengthen a weak or erratic heartbeat and it is also thought to be able to prevent myocardial damage in hard working animals where the heart is put under stress such as racehorses & dogs including sheep dogs, gundogs and greyhounds that exert themselves on a regular basis.
It was an essential addition when making the Golden Years herbal blend for senior dogs and the flowering tops and berries are used in this particular nutritive mix along with other natural ingredients to support the older dog as they age. The berries also feature in the Natures Harvest blend that celebrates Autumn ingredients and also in the working dog blend which is coming out very soon.
We can also benefit from the berries and they make a lovely sweet tea, jelly or a nice tipple to enjoy in the Winter in the form of Hawthorn brandy !