Red Hawthorn
Hawthorns are a tough, thorny, shrub that belong to the Rose (Rosaceae) family. They can grow 20-30ft tall and their long thorns have earned them their other common name the 'Thornberry'.
There are a few different species of Hawthorn in British Columbia some, like the Common Hawthorn, are not native to Canada and have escaped from gardens and taken root in urban environments.
Red Hawthorn (Crataegus columbiana) and Black Hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii) are considered to be the most widely distributed indigenous varieties in southwestern British Columbia; with the Red Hawthorn typically being found in the southern interior from Prince George through the Okanagan, Kootnay valley, and the Peace River District. Black Hawthorn is common through most of the province below a latitude of 55º.
Hawthorn often growing in large, dense thickets and provides both food and cover for wildlife including songbirds who use it to hide from predators. It is also excellent at stabilizing soil and stream banks.
Medicine & Food
Hawthorn berries ripen in August and September and stay on the bush well into winter. According to the book Food Plants of The Interior First Nations "most people did not regard hawthorn fruit highly because of their large seed and mealy texture...and the Ktunaxa considered them constipating". However is is documented that the "Stl'at'imx, Secwepemc, and Okanagan peoples made a popular type of bread" created with dried hawthorn berry pulp.
Outside of BC's indigenous cultures, some people make hawthorn jams and jellies. The tartness of the fruit pairs well with beverage and sauces, and I have even seen a recipe for hawthorn ketchup.
Research published in the National Institute of Health's (US) National Library of Medicine says that hawthorn is "rich in amino acids, minerals, pectin,vitamin C, and fibre...studies have shown that hawthorn has high antioxidant, anti-inflammitory, anti-cardiovascular disease, and digestive enhancing properties".
Sources not linked to from the text: 1) Food Plants of Interior First Nations, Nancy J. Turner, 2017, Royal British Columbia Museum and First People's Cultural Foundation.
Take a field trip
The Hawthorn bush that I use for my paints is part of the ecology of Harbourview Park, North Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada).
The coordinates for the plant are 49.302130, -123.038177. If you do visit, please be respectful. Let's help ensure the survival of this plant for future generations.
Hawthorn bushes are commonly found in sandy pine and oak forests. This is especially relevant because just a few steps away is a Garry Oak – the only species of oak native to British Columbia. Typically their range is limited to a very narrow strip of sub-Mediterranean rain-shadow climate that extends down the eastern margin of Vancouver Island and throughout the southern Gulf Islands. This is the only Garry Oak I have seen outside of that area.
Garry Oak acorns provide an important source of food for Columbian black-tailed deer, band-tailed pigeon, Stellar's jay and other species. The larvae of the threatened propertius duskywing butterfly feed exclusively on Garry oak leaves.
Less that one per cent of low-elevation Garry Oak habitat and approximately five per cent of upland habitat remain in Canada today. This makes the Garry oak ecosystem one of the most endangered in Canada.