Hawthorn, Elderberry and Rose Hips: The Hedgerow Harvest of Samhain

Welcome along, fellow time travelers, and a happy Halloween to you! In the old Celtic calendar, Samhain marked the end of the harvest. Grain was in the barn, apples were in the cellar, and the hedgerows along every country lane glowed with red and purple berries. For centuries, families went out with baskets to gather this last free harvest of the year.

The living hedgerow

Hedgerows are the long lines of shrubs and small trees that divide fields in Britain and Ireland. Some are many hundreds of years old. They shelter birds and hedgehogs, and in autumn they offer a feast of berries, nuts and hips. Gathering from the hedgerow, known as foraging, was a happy family outing, and the berries became jams, jellies, syrups and country wines.

Hawthorn: the fairy tree

The hawthorn, with its white blossoms in May and deep red berries, called haws, in autumn, is one of the most magical trees in folklore. In Ireland, a lone hawthorn standing in a field was called a "fairy tree," and farmers would plow around it rather than cut it down. The famous Glastonbury Thorn in England was said to have sprouted from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea and to bloom at Christmas.

Hawthorn berries were made into jellies and ketchups by country cooks. In European herbal tradition and in traditional Chinese practice, where the fruit is called shan zha, hawthorn has a long history, where it has long been a treasured herb.

Grandmother and grandchild making elderberry and rose hip jam

Elderberry: the elder mother

The elder tree, with its flat clusters of tiny dark berries, had a gentle guardian in folklore: the "Elder Mother," a spirit said to live in the tree. Country people would politely ask her permission before picking: "Elder Mother, give me some of thy wood, and I will give thee some of mine when I grow into a tree." Elderflowers made a fragrant cordial in early summer, and the autumn berries were cooked into syrups, jams and the famous elderberry wine. Elderberries were traditionally used in European folk practice during the colder months. (Remember that raw elderberries should always be cooked before eating!)

Rose hips: little red jewels

After the wild rose finishes blooming, it leaves behind round red fruits called hips. Rose hips have been made into teas, jellies and syrups for centuries. During the Second World War, when oranges were hard to find, British schoolchildren and volunteers gathered hundreds of tons of rose hips from hedgerows so that rose hip syrup could be made for families, prized for its vitamin C.

A Samhain basket

Picture a country family on a crisp October afternoon, baskets in hand, filling them with haws, elderberries and rose hips, then walking home as the sun sets to cook them into jars that will glow on the pantry shelf all winter. It is a wonderful reminder that Halloween began as a celebration of nature's generosity.

Hawthorn at Vitalogy Shoppe

Hawthorn is one of the traditional ingredients in several of our formulas inspired by classic herbal practice, including BP Balancer, Blood Pressure Support and Relaxology. Each product page lists the complete formula at VitalogyShoppe.com.

So tell me, fellow time travelers: have you ever gone berry picking in the fall?

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This post shares history, folklore and traditional uses only.