Herb library · Herb · Crataegus monogyna, C. laevigata, C. pinnatifida, C. mexicana
Hawthorn
A flowering shrub of the rose family, sold for the heart. It has been studied for heart failure with conflicting results, and the FDA has warned that some "tejocote root" products sold as Mexican hawthorn actually contain a toxic plant.
Serious warning
In January 2024 the FDA warned that some dietary supplements labeled "tejocote root" (Mexican hawthorn) actually contain yellow oleander, a toxic plant that harms the nervous system, heart, and gut; the FDA said these products may cause severe harm or even be fatal. They were being sold for weight loss.
Traditional use
Hawthorn grows in temperate regions throughout the world. It was traditionally used for heart disease, digestion, circulation, and kidney and bladder problems, and on the skin for sores, itching, and frostbite. Its berries and leaves were used in traditional Chinese medicine. Today it is sold for the heart and blood vessels, weight loss, and anxiety.
What studies show
- Limited
Heart failure: hawthorn has been studied in people with heart failure, and the evidence on its effects conflicts.
- Insufficient
Heart disease, angina, abnormal heartbeat, and plaque in the arteries: there isn't enough evidence to know whether hawthorn affects them.
- Insufficient
Weight loss: there isn't any evidence that hawthorn affects weight.
- Insufficient
Anxiety: it is unclear whether hawthorn has any effect.
Be careful of
Cautions
- ConditionIn one study a specific hawthorn preparation may have been linked to earlier worsening of heart failure, possibly through an interaction with the patients' heart drugs. If you have a heart condition, do not add hawthorn on your own.
- AmountSome hawthorn supplements might be safe short term; no study has tested use for longer than 16 weeks.
- NoteSide effects can include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle pain.
- InteractionIf you take any medicine, check with your clinician first; some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.
- PregnancyLittle is known about its safety in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“As for the Hawthorn Tree at Glastonbury, which is said to flower yearly on Christmas-day, it rather shews the superstition of those that observe it for the time of its flowering, than any great wonder”
“And thus you see the thorn gives a medicine for his own pricking, and so doth almost every thing else.”
Sources
- Hawthorn: Usefulness and Safety (opens in a new tab) · NCCIH · read September 25, 2026
- Hawthorn (LiverTox) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.