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Hawthorn (genus Crataegus) is a term used to refer to any member of either the Crataegus or (less commonly) the Rhaphiolepis genus. Both genera are members of the Rose family (Rosaceae), however Rhaphiolepis indica (a.k.a., Indian Hawthorn) is not a true hawthorn and indeed, has no thorns. [1] The name derives from the superficial resemblance of the flowers to those of Crataegus.

Wandlore

The wandmaker Gregorovitch wrote that hawthorn ‘makes a strange, contradictory wand, as full of paradoxes as the tree that gave it birth, whose leaves and blossoms heal, and yet whose cut branches smell of death.’ While he and Garrick Ollivander disagreed on many fronts, they concurred about hawthorn wands, which are complex and intriguing in their natures, just like the owners who best suit them.[2]

Hawthorn wands may be particularly suited to healing magic, but they are also adept at curses, and it has been generally observed that the hawthorn wand seems most at home with a conflicted nature, or with a witch or wizard passing through a period of turmoil.[2]

Hawthorn is not easy to master, however, and one should only ever consider placing a hawthorn wand in the hands of a witch or wizard of proven talent, or the consequences might be dangerous. Hawthorn wands have a notable peculiarity: their spells can, when badly handled, backfire.[2]

Notable Hawthorn wands

Appearances

See also

Notes and References

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