Crataegus monogyna
Family: Rosaceae
Deciduous thorny bush to small tree. Native to the western coast of
North America. Good hedging bush, with loads of beautiful blossoms
in May. Hawthorn leaf and flower makes an unparalleled cardio-tonic
tea, loaded with procyanadins, which dilates the coronary vessels thereby
lowering blood pressure and fighting plaque. The single-seeded berries
are also active and may be harvested after the first frost for highest
vitamin content. They contain citric acid, rutin and procyanadins.
Cultivation: Extra care. Seeds have been washed free
of their germination-inhibiting fruit. According to our tests, Hawthorn
takes almost a year to come up. Sow in the spring or summer, and
expect germination the following spring. Seedlings are extremely
vigorous and grow up to 2 feet in the first year. This is a perfect
plant to use to demonstrate long germination cycles, as the plant invariably
comes up.
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