This series aims to bring you Herbalism on the trail, whether you're out survival training, hiking, or even camping, this series is meant for you! I'd like to explore with you the wonders, and marvels of our past, and what our present has to offer to us, with knowledge once lost.
I hope you can learn something from this, and look at plants, trees, and mushrooms in a completely different way to before. That's the beauty of the natural world, there's so much to marvel at, so much to learn, and it's right next to us, alive!

Crataegus

One fantastic herb commonly seen in Britain and elsewhere is known as Crataegus. Crataegus or what's also known as Hawthorne is a herb that has been well-known for a long time. During the middle ages, this herb was seen as a sign of hope. The herb has long been associated with helping heal the heart and that of goodwill.
Some notable effects of this herb are:

• Increased blood flow to the heart
• Restoring normal heartbeat patterns
• Active proanthocyanin content (improving blood flow)
• Antioxidant - reducing degeneration of blood vessels.
• It lowers blood pressure.

Crataegus, as listed, is as stated a herb with many uses. Adding a crataegus into a garlic herbal mix will improve blood flow within the body. This herb can be combined with many others to essentially create a super cold-fighting mix. One of the recipes I made for cold-fighting was the cold buster megamix in which I've listed at the bottom of this.  

The Cold buster/infection killer 

Allium Sativum + Achillea Millefolium.
Crush clove of Allium, wait for ten minutes, use fresh Acheillia. Ingest Allium and Achillia in raw form, or apply to wound for healing. Allium Sativum ingested is an immunostimulant that forces the body to start fighting the infection.
Notes such as these can help you in the long run. I suggest taking notes whenever you can. Association of colours to certain plants and herbs helps a huge amount too and can help you learn about the natural world better.
I tend to use the Latin or scientific name for plants, so it helps me learn the herbal/natural benefits of the herb. I'm not sure why this is the case, it may be due to me taking the herb more seriously by learning the name and perhaps respecting it more.
In the next part of the series, we will be discovering more herbs and learning the benefits of what they can offer us. (as well of how we can help them)

As always,
Stay alert
- Luke