Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)
[Jaimie Sweetman is part of the Edible Forest located on the Yarra Valley Estate in Dixons Creek. There are regular tours of the Edible Forest – read more and book your place on a future tour.]
|
There are several hundred species of hawthorn (genus Crataegus). They are all shrubs or small trees, and most have thorns. All have edible fruit (but don’t eat the seeds because they contain cyanide!). The fruits are small berries and they taste a bit like applies, although more tart and tangy. Whilst they can be eaten raw, they are more commonly made into jellies, jams or syrups. They are meant to be good for heart health (and also to mend broken hearts!). The petals and (when young and tender) the leaves are also edible. As well as having only small fruit, the common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is considered to be an environmental weed in Victoria so we don’t grow it at the Edible Forest. Rather, we focus on the species which have both bigger fruit and are non-weedy. One species that we grow is the scarlet hawthorn (Crataegus ellwangeriana). Its berries grow to around 15mm and, as well as making preserves, we dehydrate them for teas. |
Unusually, this species is pollinated by midges.
Another species that we grow is azarole (Crataegus azarolus), which is the most common hawthorn growing in Arab countries.