Hawthorn Berries, Whole, 1 Lb (Crataegus laevigata)

Hawthorn is the witch's hedge and the doorway to Faerie. The red haws of Crataegus laevigata come from the great protective May-tree of European lore, a guardian of thresholds and a favorite haunt of the fae, worked for protection, happiness, and fairy magic. These whole berries carry the hawthorn's wild, hedgerow power.

This working pound of whole berries is the bulk size for ongoing protection charms, happiness work, and fairy-magic offerings; the 1 oz size suits a single charm. Reach for hawthorn when you want to guard a threshold or call the good folk near.

Key Features of Hawthorn Berries

A guardian of thresholds. Hawthorn is the witch's hedge, worked to protect a home, a boundary, and the heart of a space.

A happiness herb. The joyful May-tree lifts the spirits; its berries are added to charms for happiness and good cheer.

A fairy tree. Sacred to the fae, hawthorn is used in fairy-magic offerings and contact work.

Product Details

• Botanical name: Crataegus laevigata (hawthorn, haws)
• Tradition: Cunningham places hawthorn under Mars; folklore names it the fae's May-tree
• Form: whole dried berries
• Weight: 1 lb
• For spiritual use only; not a food, drug, or supplement, and not for ingestion
• Storage: keep sealed in a cool, dark place

The Spiritual Significance

Hawthorn is one of the most storied trees of the British and Irish hedgerow, the May-tree whose blossoming marks Beltane and whose thorns made it the living fence, the hedge, that gave the hedge-witch her name. Cunningham seats it under Mars and names fertility, chastity, and happiness among its powers, and folk practice prizes it above all as a protector: hawthorn guards thresholds, boundaries, and the home, and its joyful spring flowering lends it to happiness and good-cheer charms as well.

Its deepest reputation, though, is as a fairy tree. A lone hawthorn standing in a field was held sacred to the good folk, never to be cut, and sitting beneath a hawthorn at Beltane was said to bring one close to Faerie. The berries are offered and worked in fairy magic and contact. Hawthorn is also a famous heart tonic in herbalism, which is not what we offer it for; Plentiful Earth sells these berries strictly for ritual and spiritual use, not as a remedy, and they are not for ingestion.

How To Use Hawthorn Berries

1. Guard a threshold. Add hawthorn to a protection charm for a doorway, boundary, or home.
2. Lift the spirits. Work the berries into a happiness charm for good cheer.
3. Honor the fae. Leave hawthorn berries as an offering at a fairy altar or hawthorn tree, respectfully and with permission.
4. Mark Beltane. Use hawthorn in spring, handfasting, and May rites.
5. Store them sealed, in a cool, dark place between workings.

Pairs Well With

• Elder Berries, Whole, 1 oz: the other great fae and protection tree to pair.
• Mugwort Cut, 1 oz: a visionary herb for fae contact and the sight.
• Vervain Cut, 1 oz: a sacred protective herb for the threshold charm.
• Protection Oil: dress the warded doorway or charm.
• Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham: the source of these attributions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are hawthorn berries used for in magic?

For protection, guarding thresholds, boundaries, and the home as the witch's hedge; for happiness, the joyful May-tree lifting the spirits; and for fairy magic, offered and worked to honor and contact the fae. Cunningham places hawthorn under Mars.

Can I make hawthorn tea or take it?

No. Hawthorn is a well-known heart tonic in herbalism, but Plentiful Earth sells these berries strictly for ritual and spiritual use, not as a remedy, and they are not for ingestion. Food-grade hawthorn is sold separately.

How do I use hawthorn for fairy magic?

Leave the berries as an offering at a hawthorn tree or fairy altar, respectfully and with permission, or carry them in a charm for fae contact. Tradition holds the lone hawthorn sacred to the good folk, so approach with courtesy.

Why is it called the May-tree?

Hawthorn blossoms around May Day, and its flowering long marked Beltane, so it became the May-tree, central to spring and handfasting rites. Folklore also warns against cutting a lone hawthorn, which belongs to the fae.

How should I store them?

Keep the whole berries sealed in a cool, dark place, away from heat and light. Whole berries hold their potency longest, so a sealed jar will carry you through many protection, happiness, and fae workings.