Hawthorn — Stories, Uses & Traditions
Anikó Balázsik researched turmeric as a medicinal plant at university, but her heart belongs to hawthorn. We’ll cover what it’s used for, when and how to gather it, what it can and can’t do — and why, to this day, no one in Ireland will cut down a lone hawthorn tree.
Overview
Hawthorn – the Fairies’ Gate
It grows as a hedge, it’s thorny, and most of us walk right past without noticing it. Yet hawthorn is one of our toughest and most generous plants: it stands up to wind, hard frosts and drought, makes do with the poorest soil, and can live for centuries. In May it breaks into pure white bloom; in autumn it bears deep red berries — and we use both.
What we’ll cover:
- What physiological effects we know of — and what hawthorn is not for
- When and how to harvest the flower, leaf and fruit so the active compounds come through at their best
- The folklore around hawthorn: why won’t people in Ireland cut down a hawthorn bush, said to be a Fairies’ Gate into the human world?
Alongside the conversation we’ll brew a warm, seasonal hawthorn tea and taste a hawthorn snack — both included in the ticket price.
Event Schedule
Opening: 15:00Closing: 17:00
Limited to 10 seats
Speaker: Anikó Balázsik
I completed a phytopharmacology programme at the University of Pécs Faculty of Pharmacy in 2025. I’ve been studying medicinal plants for over 30 years, everywhere I go in the world: South Tyrol, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Canada, China. Hawthorn is especially close to my hear
The details.
No event?
Just come.
Drop in for à la carte teas or book a Tea Journey any Friday, Saturday or Sunday between 12:00 and 18:00. No ticket needed — just reserve your seat.
Open Fri–Sun · 12:00–18:00 · Vörösmarty utca 19/A · Budapest