Hawthorns are a genus of plants that belong to the pome fruit family within the rose family. There are around 200-300 species in the northern hemisphere..
The plants are characterised by small, toothed leaves and thorny branches. They often also have eye-catching flowers that bloom in white to pink colours. Their fruit, the rose hip, is well known for its nutrient content.
Hawthorn is mentioned as a remedy as early as the 1st century AD..
Ingredients
In addition to the fruits, the whole or cut twigs, which contain flavonoids and triterpenes, are also used in herbal medicine. Procyanidins and flavones are also present. Hawthorn is also valued in folk medicine due to the essential oils it contains.