Any reasons to keep Hawthorns?

Let's see
You have trees in poor shape, obviously insect infested that you have to mow around at a cost to your skin. You don't like them and they are in a bad spot.

What are you asking us again? Perhaps some hawthorns are useful, sounds as if yours are not.

I am asking because I don't know all the uses for hawthorn and try to think things out before I do them. Other people gave uses/knowledgeable/helpful answers... I thank them.

Why are you answering again?

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The wood looks nice. There are some local guys who come get it from the nature centers around here and turn it on their lathes. I've seen some really beautiful pens and such. Hawthorne and Honeysuckle are invasives and we are constantly battling them.

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Bummer...
I heard "edible" so I looked it up. I have a tree that the berries look just exactly right, but the leaves are wrong. :-( Still don't know what that tree is, but I guess we better not eat the berries. So sad...

Cindyc.

I had two in my yard when I moved in with an almost 5 yr old little boy. Each tree was at a door to the house.

They were lovely and I cut them down ASAP and burned them.

The problem with WH's is that they have THORNS. People and thorns don't mix well.

As a wildlife habitat? Wonderful. BUT NOT IN THE YARD (or at least not where you have to mow, walk, etc.)

If the woodpeckers are after them? They won't probably live much longer - say 5-10 years more or so.

Sorry they are too close... I know what I'd do with them...

There are plenty of other wildlife trees that are less vicious to feet and mower tires. Silky dogwoods, Staghorn sumac, Harry Lauder's Walking Stick (a type of corkscrew willow), etc.

Good luck!

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It's funny you bring up Staghorn Sumac... Off to start another thread.

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I'm going to step out there (ahem), and say that the Hawthorn is a most sacred tree. To cut one down would most surely be unwise.

We have three - one is only about ten years, the others at least fifty. DH uses caution and respect while mowing around them. He rarely escapes without a scrape, mind you, but we keep them nonetheless.

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Hawthorn berries are used as an anti-grief tea. Not only are they medicinally great for cardiac strength but they also help the brain chemistry stabilize after an emotional shock.

For medicinal or culinary purposes, it's best if the hawthorn is Crataegus oxyacantha, or C. monogyna, but you'd have to research to find out about other species.

Flowering tops are harvested in late spring, and the berries (haws) are collected in late summer to early autumn. Both can be dried for future use.

Culinary Uses: Leaf buds can be cooked and taste similar to lima beans, added to soups and Mexican dishes. Berries are used to make jellies and fruit sauces. Add flowers to salads or use as an edible garnish. Roasted seeds make a fine coffee substitute. The very young, tender leaves can be added to salads. The fresh or dried berries can be used in any recipe as a substitute for rosehips. They go well when added to cakes and muffins and desserts, in ice creams and ice-cream sauces, in pancake fillings or biscuits in the same way as you'd add blueberries or raisins, or stew them and put them in the bottom of the pan, top with a plain batter mix, and make a steamed pudding, with the sauce ending up on top when the pudding is turned out. Make into a jam, or add to an apple jam, or apple pies.

Medicinal Uses: Fruit is used as a tea to treat heart disease, diarrhoea, kidney disorders and nervous conditions, and to prevent arteriosclerosis and angina. Mildly sedative. Sometimes used to prevent miscarriage. The flowers make an effective diuretic tea. Chewing the leaves will alleviate pangs of hunger and treat anxiety, depression and insomnia and improve energy levels. A tea made from the flowers and leaves is an excellent heart tonic which is used to treat angina, irregular heart-beat, and coronary artery disease. It also helps lower blood pressure, improves the memory, and when used as a mouthwash helps prevent plaque developing on teeth. When taken internally, treatment should continue for several months before results become noticeable. Externally, the tea is used to treat skin sores and in drawing ointments for splinters and thorns. Berries contain Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, and high quantities of potassium and sodium, silicon, phosphorus, iron, zinc, sulphur, nickel, tin and beryllium.

Other Uses: The leaves, with other herbs such as yarrow, coltsfoot, mint or mullein, make a tobacco substitute for those wishing to quit smoking. The timber is excellent for fine carvings, as is the root wood. Hawthorn timber is an excellent firewood, as it burns very hot. A hawthorn hedge makes an excellent security fence.

Folklore: Hawthorn has long been used to increase fertility. Because of this power, it is incorporated into wedding rituals, especially those performed in the spring. The leaves, curiously enough, are also used to enforce or maintain chastity or celibacy. The leaves are placed beneath the mattress or around the bedroom for this purpose. Keep in a house to repel ghosts and evil spirits. An infusion of the herb used to wash floors will remove negative vibrations. Carried in a sachet on a fishing trip, hawthorn ensures a good catch, and worn or carried, it promotes happiness in the troubled, depressed, or sad. Hawthorn protects against lightning, and in the house in which it resides, no evil ghosts may enter. It is also powerful for protecting against damage to the house from storms. The Romans placed hawthorn in cradles to guard the child from evil spells. In the past, most witches’ gardens contained at least one hawthorn hedge. The hawthorn is sacred to the fairies and is part of the tree fairy triad of Britain: 'Oak, Ash and Thorn,' and where all three trees grow together, it is said that one may see fairies. It was considered unlucky to bring hawthorn into the house. The tree was considered too sacred even to touch. The flowers are fertilised by carrion insects, and it is said that those with keen smell can detect the odour of the grave on the blossoms. The shadows of the moon were thought to represent a man laden with a bundle of hawthorn thorns in punishment for theft. If three hawthorn trees are found growing closely together, it is considered wise to make a wide berth of them.

Warning: Though non-toxic, hawthorn can produce dizziness if taken in large doses. Avoid if suffering from colitis or ulcers. Because it contains compounds which affect blood pressure and heart rate, it is best used under medical supervision.