Hawthorn (Crateagus)   Hawthorn is the state flower of Missouri. Buy state flowers

The fruit of the hawthorn resembles a small apple and is called a Haw or Hawberry and is often eaten by birds. In England, hawthorns are cultivated for hedges, and the flowers are associated with May Day. Early settlers in Missouri made jams or jellies out of the hawthorn berries. According to legend, the hawthorn is connected with Christ's death as well as his birth. It is said that soon after the death of Christ, Joseph of Arimathea went to Britain to spread the message of Christianity. As he travelled with is his staff, he became tired. He pushed his staff into the ground and laid down beside it to rest. When he awoke, he found that the staff had taken root and begun to grow and blossom. He left it there and it has flowered every Christmas and every spring. The original Hawthorn eventually died but not before many cuttings had been taken. It is one of these cuttings that replaced the original Hawthorn, and is in the grounds of Glastonbury Abbey today. There is a tradition in England that a branch of the Glastonbury Thorn is taken and displayed each year in Buckingham Palace. In ancient Greece and Rome, the hawthorn had happy associations. It was used as a symbol of hope at weddings in Greece. Bridal attendants wore its blossoms while the bride carried an entire bough. Also, in both Greece and Rome, torches carried in wedding processions were made of hawthorn. The Romans put hawthorn leaves in the cradles of newborn babies to ward off evil spirits. The North American Indians used it as medicine for many ailments. In China, the fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida were eaten to cure scurvy, taken as a mild laxative, and for stomach ailments. The leaf and twigs have been used as an antidote to poisoning with varnish. It became a popular herbal remedy in Europe and North America towards the end of the 19th century, when its heart-healing properties were discovered. Hawthorn is also used as a sedative for insomnia. Hawthorn wood is very hard and is used for such small items as tool handles. ********

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