YOU might be forgiven in thinking autumn is a bit of a frugal time for wild foods, but despair not! There is plenty around if you know where to look.
This month, we want to draw your attention to an often-overlooked species – the hawthorn... the understated, but beautiful hawthorn blossom.
Hawthorn, or Crataegus monogyna, is a member of the rose family, and an easily identifiable species most often found in hedgerows.
Its leaves are small, deeply lobed and roughly as broad as they are long, and at this time of year the berries are red and slightly shiny.
A word of caution: hawthorns have sharp thorns along their branches, so be aware when you are picking the berries, and avoid foraging from trees that are close to roads due to risk of pollutants.
The hawthorn can support over 300 insects and the dense, thorny foliage makes an excellent nesting habitat for many species of bird. Its flowers are eaten by dormice and provide nectar and pollen for bees and other insects.
Hawthorn is a pagan symbol of fertility and has ancient associations with May Day celebrations – its leaves and flowers were used in garlands and villagers would be sent out to gather a live hawthorn to bring back for the may pole.
Hawthorn blossoms were never allowed in the home, as it is thought that they brought sickness and death.
In medieval times, hawthorn blossom was said to smell of the Great Plague and some believe that the crown of thorns worn by Jesus was made of hawthorn.
We now know that one of the chemicals in hawthorn – trimethylamine – is one of the first chemicals which forms in decaying animal flesh, so it is hardly surprising that the flowers were so often associated with death. Next spring, give the blossoms a sniff and see what you think! This chemical attracts flies, which are one of the key pollinators of hawthorn.
Since the Middle Ages, hawthorn has been used by herbalists to regulate blood pressure, stabilise an irregular heartbeat, strengthen the muscle of the heart and improve hardening of the arteries. This is now well-documented and backed up by hard science – if you’re interested, a quick Google will bring up dozens of journal papers on the subject.
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