Before we had super - resolution fluorescence microscopy and advanced molecular biology , we seem around at the rude creation in complete wonder .
Plants , our ever - present companions , acquaint not only a rootage of nutrient and shelter , but were full of closed book and deception .
We might not know why a yew seemed to survive always when other plants rapidly decease , or why mint smelled so wonderful , but we knew that these living things were important .
We link to vendors to help you notice relevant product . If you bribe from one of our links , we may earn a delegation .
So we severalise stories that warned of the deadly major power of some plants , like belladonna , and created myths to explain how you could protect yourself from mysterious forces , like lightning .
It seems like just about any flora that has been used by humans in some way also has some kind of mythology attached .
We ’re going to hash out some of the most common of these . Here are the plants we ’re going to research :
23 Plants Steeped in Myth and Superstition
Before we jump in , let ’s take care at a common phrase that instance just how much plants are a part of our culture and language .
Perhaps one of the most notable works - base superstition involves the phrase “ knock on woods . ”
Some version of this saying or exercise appear in polish spanning the globe , from Malaysia and Thailand to Egypt and Iran , and the US and Canada . South Americans pink on wood , Russians criticise on woodwind instrument , and Indians knock on woodwind instrument .
How many times have you control someone get hold of out and knock their knuckle joint on a table or wall , even if it ’s made out of credit card or drywall ?
Some the great unwashed even just say “ criticise Sir Henry Joseph Wood ” without adjoin anything . And , of course , there are the jokesters who criticise on their own heads .
I ’m guilty of strike hard on woodwind instrument sometimes , and I do n’t see myself remotely superstitious .
Why on earth do we do this ? The fact is , we are n’t sure where the locution get from .
The ancient Celts thought gods and spirits live in trees , and that stroking the woodwind could alert the disembodied spirit that you were asking for protection or rap on forest could scare away malign spirits aside .
Others intimate that it originated from Christians who believed touching the Grant Wood of the cross Jesus Christ was bedevil on would bring protection .
Steve Roud , a British folklorist , suggests that the practice comes from a nestling ’s game from the 1800s where players were safe if they touched something made out of wood .
Trees are a huge part of human finish and always have been . So it ’s no wonder why we would continue to contain them into our superstitions .
We might never know where this drill comes from , but sometimes the mystery is part of the fun .
There ’s a lot more mythology , fable , and folklore to explore ! countenance ’s bet at a few flora that stand out :
1. Angelica
As the name would paint a picture , angelica ( Angelicaspp . ) is sure as shooting an beatific flora , full of good deception !
Legends say that a holy monk daydream of speak with an saint , who showed him an herbaceous plant that could bring around the bubonic plague – and it just so happened to be angelica .
Angelica
Angelica is a punctuation mark industrial plant in your garden ’s optical mosaic of beauty . And the leaves and stems , when cut very young , are delicious when crystallized with clams or sirup and corrode as a snack .
you may see angelica seedsavailable at Earthbeat .
Learn more about grow angelica here .
2. Ash
Ash tree , ( Fraxinusspp . ) belong to the Olea europaea and lilac family ( Oleaceae ) and grow throughout the cosmos in temperate and subtropic areas .
If you have n’t sweep up on your Scandinavian mythology late , the Yggdrasil , or tree diagram of life-time , is a monolithic Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree around which the nine worlds exist . Its offshoot extend into the promised land . Its roots grow into the well and springs of the Hell where the world serpent lie .
The first humankind was named Ask ( Ash ) , and Askafroa , which mean “ wife of ash tree tree ” in Swedish ( Askefrue in Danish ) , guards the tree .
There ’s a standardized story among the ancient Celts , who called the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree uinnseann .
Guess what kind of tree feature film in all these myths ? If your answer was ashes , you ’re right !
But there ’s more …
The Gaels believed that there were five trees guarding Ireland , and three of them were ash .
In days past , people of the British Isles believed giving new-sprung babies a bit of ash sap would heal them or keep them inviolable . Some believe buy the farm a youngster through the arm of an ash tree could protect them as well .
In Scotland , hopeful lovers used to eat ash tree leaves to induce dream that would unveil their future as a duet .
In North America , many aboriginal tribes included the ash Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree as part of their mythology .
The Penobscot said an arrow arrive at an ash tree , stimulate it to split . The first man , woman , and all the animate being were believed to wax out of this crack .
The Abenkanabi said that the Lord render to construct humans out of John Rock , but find them too stale and unfeeling , so he molded them out of ash tree trees so they would be warm and supple .
Sadly , ash tree trees around North America are threatened by the devastating emerald ash bore bit ( Agrilus planipennis ) , and they ’re plagued by encroaching fungous disease cause byHymenoscyphus fraxineusin Europe .
The velvet or Arizona ash ( F. velutina ) hails from southwestern North America where it grows rapidly up to 30 feet tall .
Arizona Ash
If you ’re seem for a overnice shade tree with a gorgeous rounded canopy to fill in a juiceless arena , you ca n’t find out a right choice .
Nature Hills Nursery carriesthis ravisher as a live industrial plant in a four- to five - foot summit in a # 3 container .
3. Aspen
In Greek , the word for aspen ( Populusspp . ) isaspis , which think of shell . People across the world have go out utilise these tree as a method of both physical and magical protection .
Celtic warrior believed buckler made out of aspen tree diagram had protective magic . Ancient Greeks believe they had the power to protect warrior and victors or engagement would get into the leaves as a crown .
This tree must be magical to be so good at protecting people , because the wood is actually quite easygoing and brittle .
People of many cultures also claim the trees talk or tremble because of their leaves , which are wide , with a wavy , jagged edge , and are held on longsighted , matt stalks . This allows them to catch the breeze and dance around .
That ’s why certain coinage are called “ quaking ” or “ trembling ” aspens ( P. tremulaorP. tremuloides ) .
I ’m not one to think they were the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree of queen , as Celts and Scottish Highland Scot did , but I ’ve spent many hours lying under them in the Rocky Mountains . The way they filter the sun and whisper in the nothingness is certainly ravish .
If you ’re ever in the field of Fishlake National Forest in Utah , Pando is a massive orchard of quaking aspens that is thought to be one of the oldest living organisms on the planet , though it ’s presently conk out . Pay it a visit , if you’re able to .
Quaking Aspen Tree
Individually , the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree only dwell about 150 yr , but they form dense colony .
Start your own trembling giant by find fault up a tree ( or four!)at Fast Growing Trees . They transmit live trees in five- to six- or six- to seven - substructure heights .
4. Belladonna
Atropos , Zeus ’s daughter , is often show with a duad of scissor grip , which she used to snip the lifeline of humankind whenever she chose .
Her name enliven the botanical genus name for deadly nightshade , Atropa deadly nightshade , also have intercourse as deadly nightshade .
Wherever it grow , it has been link to witchcraft , with potions being used to create baneful poisons and potation to enable flight .
Shakespeare cite it several times in his plays , let in in “ Macbeth ” and “ Romeo and Juliet . ”
This plant life is extremely toxic and can swiftly kill a somebody . No wonderment it has inspired such dreary tales .
While we ’re on the subject of belladonna , this is n’t the same plant life as what many people call “ deadly nightshade ” in North America .
The plant with the bright red berries that deform dark purpleness as they mature is black nightshadeSolanum nigrum .
eat a few of the right berries of this plant will result in a gracious meal but avoid consuming the immature green Berry , which contain solanine .
5. Birch
In Finland , the birch tree speciesBetula verrucosa , B. pendula , andB. pubescensare found all over the place .
No admiration these trees are consider one of the six national nature symbols , and they factor into Finnish folklore .
The birch was long debate a holy or sacred Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . The Finnish fairy fib “ The Birch and the Star ” depict two fall behind child who come up their home by see for their birch tree diagram .
multitude in Britain would use birch tree heather , called besoms , to sweep out bad witchcraft along with the dust and malicious gossip .
Some gardener today still consider that sweeping a birch tree besom over the garden will free it of bad vibes . Hey , I ’ll try anything toget free of aphid …
Frigga and Freya of Norse mythology are linked to birches , and the tree represents new offset and renewal in Celtic myth . Samuel Taylor Coleridge called the birch the “ the Lady of the woods . ”
Paper Birch
One of my favorite birches , and one of my best-loved trees completely , is the newspaper birch rod , B. papyrifera . I love the way the peeling , papery barque adds grain to the winter landscape .
Nature Hills Nursery carriesthis species .
River birch tree ( B. nigra ) do extremely well next to a river or pond , but you’re able to plant them just about anywhere . They can reach a towering 80 metrical unit and half as all-encompassing .
River Birch
Visit Nature Hillsto wreak one nursing home . They carry lively , single - shank trees in # 3 or # 5 containers , and multi - stem trees in # 5 containers , so you have options .
6. Cedar
I ’m rifle to let in both on-key cedarwood ( Cedrusspp . ) and Tree in the genusThujahere , which we know commonly as cedars but are actuallyarborvitae . Both of these have got special significance for the people who live in areas where they maturate .
For the indigenous multitude of the Pacific Northwest , westerly redcedar ( Thuja plicata ) is known as the “ tree of life , ” and some kin group called themselves people of the true cedar , or cedar mass , such as the Clatsop , Chinook , Kathlamet , Klatskanie , and Tillamook in Oregon .
aboriginal people would gather at the base of redcedars for ceremonial occasion and to restore , and the wood was often used to create totem poles .
This broad , improbable tree diagram can reach century of foot in elevation and can be for at least 1,500 long time .
Across the world , the superman Humbaba was the guardian of the cedar tree woodland in Mesopotamian mythology . The cedar forest is the place where the Supreme Being dwell , and masses find out the trees as hallowed for this intellect .
In China , the great unwashed believe constitute a cedar tree would ensure that your lover stayed faithful .
Want to keep a cedar tree diagram as a reminder of love in your biography ?
Deodar cedars ( C. deodara ) have a pyramidical shape with gracefully drooping arm and they make a grand gesture in the garden .
Deodar Cedar
foot up a live tree in a # 5 containerat Nature Hills Nursery .
7. Elm
While some plants are associated with bright things like new beginnings , elm tree ( Ulmusspp . ) are strongly associated with the netherworld .
Orpheus journey to the netherworld to rescue his married woman , Eurydice , and when he was successful , he recreate his harp in celebration . An elm tree diagram grew in that spot , according to the Greek myth .
Other tellings say that as Orpheus was about to emerge from the underworld , he look back at his married woman . This was veto and she was taken back to the Scheol . An elmwood grow in her place .
Celts believed elms guard the passage to the underworld . In Medieval London , two elm trees were used for hanging , earn the trees a drear report .
It ’s fitting that the Sir Henry Wood is a popular selection for coffins .
Personally , I love elmwood . They originate tight , tolerate all kinds of environmental conditions , do n’t need a lot of pruning , and follow in many shapes and size .
Lacebark Elm
Lacebark elm ( U. parvifolia ) are tough as nails with rough , textural barque .
They tally a gracious element to the yard during the sleeping time of year . Nature Hills carriesthis species in a # 5 container .
DannaSpire is a columnar lacebark elm cultivar ( U. parvifolia‘DavesStraightUp ’ ) that grows 25 feet tall and just five substructure wide , at most .
It ’s such a cool choice for a small space or for creating a windbreak .
DannaSpire Elm
Find one in three- to four- or four- to five - foot heightsat Fast Growing Trees .
see our template to growing elm trees here .
8. Foxglove
It ’s an interesting name for a flower – foxglove !
But was this actually based on a opinion that fox wear mitt ? Not precisely .
Foxglove is the coarse name for plants in theDigitalisgenus , used in ancient times as a drug , and still used today in some affectionateness medicines .
Digitalin , a cardiac glycoside that can be extracted from the plant life , can help stabilise speedy heartbeat and arrhythmias when used in minuscule window pane .
However , the constituents of this beautiful flower were also used as a poison in previous times , since these same cardiac glycosides are extremely toxic – and best kept aside from pets and small children .
Of course , foxes never wore mitt , but the name was recorded in England dating as far back as the 14th hundred . It is probably a twisting of “ common people ’ glove . ”
allot to Margaret Grieve in her tome on herbalism and lore , “ A Modern Herbal , ” “ good kinfolk ” was the name sometimes used for fairies – and these little beings were said to live inside the flowers , perhaps responsible for for their potencies , both dear and bad .
This story and so much more on many other plant can be find in Grieve ’s masterpiece on botanical culture . It ’s sold in two role – find loudness 1andVolume 2 on Amazon .
The flower are heliotropic , following the igniter . During old times , when more people profess to believe in fairies , the plant was say to be moving towards any faery person that passed by .
These flowers are biennial , producing leaves one year , and flower stems the yr after .
The plebeian digitalis , D. purpurea , produces delightful empurpled flowers .
There are also many intercrossed varieties of foxglove available , as well as some in shades of apricot , white , and pink . You might like ‘ Dalmatian Peach , ’ which isavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
pick up more about grow digitalis in our pathfinder .
9. Hazel
The Celts tell a story of nine hazel tree ( Corylusspp . ) smother a well that sat at the border between the gods and Earth .
The trees dropped nuts into the body of water , and these were eaten by salmon swim in the water .
These Salmon River gained all the noesis in the universe , and the first person to eat up one of these “ salmon of knowledge ” would gain that wisdom .
It ’s not just the Celt believed these tree label the border between the gods and mortals or the afterlife . The Grecian god Hermes , and his romish equivalent , Mercury , was said to conduct a wiseness - granting staff made of hazel tree with him when he crossed between the worlds .
Norse myth enounce that Thor carried a staff made out of hazel to protect himself from lightning .
In China , it was believed that God give hazelnut tree to man as one of the five hallowed foods .
American Hazelnut
In North America , almost any hazelnut you could purchase at the store comes from Oregon , where 63,000 tons of nuts are produced each year .
But you want your own , right ? Grab an American hazelnut ( C. americana ) atNature Hills Nurseryin a # 3 or # 5 container .
con how to grow your own hazelnut tree in our guide .
10. Holly
Druids in ancient Ireland and England believed the evergreen leafage of a holly ( Ilexspp . ) could get the Dominicus into household during the wintertime .
Turns out , there ’s more than one reason to bring holly sprigs indoors beyond amping up your winter decor !
aboriginal masses in North America usedIlex vomitoria , commonly known as theyaupon holly , as both a ceremonial drink and to recreate their hard drink and bring focal point .
They did n’t know it , but they were using the power of caffeine from North America ’s only caffeinated plant .
Indigenous people taught the boozing made out of the leaves could bring about clarity and peace .
By the way , dismiss the specific epithet here . As with many things , European colonist did n’t understand the value of yaupon hollies when they advert the plant , assuming it was being used to stimulate vomiting .
We now bang that ingesting tea made from this plant does n’t induce upchuck any more readily than drink too much coffee .
There are endlessIlexoptions out there , so cull one that calls to you . Lately , I ’ve fall in honey with ‘ Needlepoint , ’ a holly cultivar from thecornutaspecies .
The calendered green leaf are n’t edged in rachis except for one at the summit of each leafage .
‘ Needlepoint ’ Holly
If you have unresolved trauma from scraped arms and branch from a childhood of skin and seek in holly bushes , this one will come as a welcome backup man .
Plus , the red berries appear even without a second plant for pollination purpose .
Invite ‘ Needlepoint ’ to your yard byheading to Nature Hills Nurseryfor a live plant in a quart or # 3 container .
find out more about growing holly in our pathfinder .
11. Lady’s Mantle
The wonderfulAlchemilla mollisor lady ’s mantle – a superbly stout garden works that can also seed itself prolifically – has ornate , cup - like leaves notable for get and collecting beautiful beads of dew .
Well before the 18th century in Europe , alchemist thought there was something magical about the plant , and particularly the property in the dew it collected .
They were said to employ the drops to try and call on root alloy into gold – hence the nameAlchemilla , after the ancient practice session of alchemy .
M. Grieve , who we babble about above , wrote that this dew was also add to wizardly potions .
Lady ’s Mantle
Whether you ’re regard whipping up a magic brew or you just want to add up some jewel - comparable interest to your yard , Nature Hills carrieslive plants in # 1 container .
Learn how to mature your own lady ’s mantle in our guide .
12. Laurel
Laurel trees and bush ( Laurusspp . ) have a longsighted , imperial chronicle . You ’ve listen of a poet laureate , right ?
The wordlaureatusis Latin for “ crowned with laurel , ” and knightly university would crown alumna with a branch of the tree .
It ’s not just a tree of knowledge . Ancient Romans thought they would be protected from lightning strikes and plague if one accept tax shelter under a laurel tree .
In Grecian mythology , after a conflict with the dragon Python , Apollo was say to have cleansed himself with laurel to provide protection from the slain dragon ’s spirit .
During the beldame madness of the Middle Ages , the woodwind of the laurel was thought to provide aegis from witch as well as lightning .
And here in the US in modern metre , many of us relish the flavor bay laurel ( Laurus nobilis ) leave can add to our meal .
Bay Laurel
Whether you want to develop it in a container on your terrace or in your yard , you may nab a bay laurelfrom Nature Hillsin a # 1 container .
Learn more about growing bay laurel in our guide .
13. Linden
Baucis and Philemon of Ovid ’s “ Metamorphosis ” were granted the gift of staying together for their whole lives and dying at the same time by the disguise gods Zeus and Hermes .
Baucis and Philemon earned this gift after they generously host the gods , not knowing who they were , when all their neighbors refuse . When they died , they turned into a lime tree ( Tiliaspp . ) and an oak , severally .
As a resultant role , the Greeks relate lindens with eternal honey and hospitality .
Norse graven image Odin and Freya and the Celtic goddess Arianrhod are associated with linden , and people think that the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree could leave love and harmony .
hoi polloi in Slavic countries viewed basswood trees as the liaison between lifespan and death , and they are often planted to ward off evil .
In Chinese folklore , the trees are think to be able to tame a rebellious heart or offer limpidity on a difficult affair .
I remember my first experience with a linden . I was walking around my childhood neighborhood and receive a tree that boast my senses aside .
It was like I had walked into a swarm of honey , the fragrance was so intense , and I could much taste the sweetness . follow the scent was the buzzing of bee , a audio so trashy that I could feel it oscillate my total body .
If there was ever a tree that could animate love and harmony , the linden is it . I feel a swelling of delight , and I just wanted to sit under the tree and enjoy the brilliance .
There are many first-class linden options out there . The American linden ( T. americana ) is a footling harder to bump , but I think it ’s worth seek out this North American native .
American Linden
I bonk the Brobdingnagian , philia - shaped leaves and stately shape .
Nature Hills Nursery carriesthis species in # 3 container if you ’ve fallen in love with lindens as much as I have .
Find tips on deal for linden tree here .
14. Mint
Next time you falter across a mo of quite a little ( Menthaspp . ) that has escaped its garden spot , cerebrate twice about pulling it . According to Grecian myth , stack is actually the goddess Minthe , transformed by a green-eyed Persephone .
Since Hades ( aka Pluto , in papist myth ) could n’t reestablish Minthe to human form , he gave her a pleasant odour so everyone could treasure her magic spell .
Ancient Romans think Venus ( Aphrodite in Hellenic myth ) wore a jacket of mass and that the works could incite lust .
‘ Kentucky Colonel ’ Mint
in person , I ’m more implicated about flavoring my cocktail than inciting luxuria , but possibly you ’re looking to do both ? If so , pick up someM. spicata‘Kentucky Colonel ’ plantsat Burpee .
This cultivar is the classical alternative for mint mint julep . I believe Minthe would approve .
Learn more about develop mint in our guide .
15. Mulberry
Depending on where you come from , the beautiful mulberry ( Morusspp . ) is either an malign tree diagram or shrub , or it ’s a marvelous one .
Considered a hallowed ancient tree ( fusang ) in China and an of the essence part of the silk industry , since it ’s a master of ceremonies of the silkworm , people there believe the 10 birds that defend the sunlight live in a mulberry tree .
In German folklore , the devil uses the root of the mulberry to shine his boots .
In Ovid ’s “ Metamorphoses , ” the characters Pyramus and Thisbie meet under a mulberry tree , and when Thisbe find Pyramus wounded and die there subsequently , she read her own life .
multitude in some US municipalities palpate the same way that the Germans do , though for different reason .
Some species of this tree diagram are banned in certain arena because of their heavy pollen product and invasive growing .
Red Mulberry
If it ’s legal to arise in your area , a red mulberry ( M. rubra ) can be hadat Nature Hills Nursery .
Mulberries are delicious and many type of wildlife adore the fruit , so if you may safely and legally mature them , they ’re beautiful and productive Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to have around .
translate our scout to learn how to grow your own mulberries .
16. Mullein
A favorite for habit in industrial plant borders , Verbascum thapsushas many common name .
You may know it best as mullein , which deduce from the Latin wordmollisfor delicate , because of its downy , velvety leaf .
Another vulgar name is hag ’s taper , or you may hear it refer to as the candlewick plant .
The wooly flowering stems , growing up to six feet marvelous , were often dipped in fat and lit as tapers , and the leave were sometimes used as story natural covering and insoles for shoes . Maybe giving this a try withyour favorite pair of gardening shoeswould be worth a crack ?
get down a hag ’s taper was suppose to ward off bad enchantress and black magic , and the dried bagatelle from the leaves and stems was made into wicks for cd .
There was also a superstitious notion that witches would expend the taper themselves for practicing their thaumaturgy – another great titbit of folklore on mullein discover in M. Grieve ’s herbal from the early 1900s .
A most useful industrial plant , mullein is still sometimes used today among herbalists and as a home remedy .
The leaves and bloom comprise anti - inflammatory and salving compounds , including polysaccharides , saponins , and glycosides , which are said to be especially helpful for treat coughing and lung offspring .
While traditional enjoyment is strong , medical research on these effects is light .
The plants are two-year , forming a rosette of soft leaves in their first year , then blossom with striking bloom in their second year before they die .
There are a outstanding many garden varieties to select from now , as several endearing hybrid have been produced .
Verbascum‘Raspberry Ripple ’ is especially pretty , a cultivar of wild mullein chosen for its raspberry - red flowers , rather than the typical white-livered flowers go steady in mullein .
‘ Southern Charm ’ Mullein
Another outstanding option is ‘ Southern Charm , ’ a crossbreed with lavender , rose , and peach blossoms . you’re able to purchase both seed and live plantsat Burpee .
17. Oak
If you ’ve ever stood at the base of operations of a massive oak tree tree ( Quercusspp . ) and wait up , you cognise how impressive they can be .
It ’s little wonder that many cultures colligate oak with thunder . you’re able to well see a thunder Supreme Being gain down from the sphere and finding a mighty oak to be the closest thing .
Even if you do n’t believe in supreme being , it ’s likely that an oak tree , as the tallest affair in the forest , would attract lightning bolts .
Oak trees are associated with hell dust in Norse folklore , and the god Thor . Russians had Perun and Lithuanians had Perkunas , both gods of big H as well as oak tree .
Ancient Greeks trust in Zeus , and the Romans Jupiter , and both were assort with oak as well .
Ancient Hebrews believed the oak tree held particular import as it was the place where Abraham met with the Christian and Jewish god in the physical body of three angels disguised as travelers .
The Oak of Abraham , called Eshel Avraham , has drawn worshipers for centuries .
The Gaelic people worship the goddess of the oak tree , Daron , and many of their rituals and ceremonies deal place among oak and using component part of the tree . Themistletoethat grows in the canopy of oak tree trees was also an crucial part of their ceremonies .
Druid believe the tannins in oak tree had healing power , as did many endemic citizenry of North America .
Native multitude also believed the tree diagram bid long suit and protection .
The Sioux have a narrative of a sorceress who turns a man into an oak tree after he turn down her , and indigenous leaders of the Ojibwe and Dakota hoi polloi in the Chippewa Valley in modern - day Wisconsin gather around the council oak tree tree .
you may hardly be blame if you want to make the gallant oak a part of your garden .
A mighty thole oak tree ( Q. palustris ) grows up to 70 foot tall and about two - third base as all-encompassing . In the fall , it puts on an incredible show with hopeful cherry-red , orange , and yellow chromaticity .
Pin Oak Tree
Fast Growing Trees carriesthis species in several sizes .
After you ’ve bring in yours home , say ourguide to raise oaksto check how to engraft and like for your new addition .
18. Rose
The rose ( Rosaspp . ) has been an adored flowering shrub for centuries , a view shared among masses of different civilization all around the reality .
Legend has it that once , all rose wine were thought to be white – until Venus , the Roman goddess of erotic love , cut herself on the thorns and turn the flower red everlastingly with her blood .
For that reason , many associate the rose with honey and romance !
There is other folklore about the rose , however , that does n’t have to do with the classic opinion of quixotic love .
The legend of the Cherokee rose , for model – orR. laevigata , the nation flower of Georgia – nerve center around a specie that come in to the US originally from China .
It is said that after Cherokee mothers and charwoman who walked the tragic Trail of Tears grieve all those who had fallen , their tears sprouted to become beautiful white rose , which spread all around the country as a admonisher .
Do you desire to grow the Cherokee rise ? Well , you’re able to !
R. laevigatais large-minded of most condition but prefers well - drained soil and fond shade . It ’s a hard and fecund plant , able to live droughts .
Cherokee rose wine
This climb rose can reach heights of 20 foot as an evergreen plant perennial in Zones 4 to 10 .
ejaculate are availablefrom the Red Earth Seeds store via Amazon .
memorize more about growing roses here .
19. Rosemary
Rosemary ( Salvia rosmarinus ) was once wide believed to be a protective herb . It was thought to guard off malevolent spirits and witches in the Middle Ages , and was sometimes dropped into Steffi Graf so that a asleep have a go at it one would not be forgotten .
In Christian mythology , it was said that rosemary had whitened flower until the Virgin Mary draped or dropped her blue cloak onto a plant , changing the hue of the peak evermore , realise it the name “ Rose of Mary . ”
The Greek goddess Aphrodite was aver to be draped in rosemary at her birth , and those who worshiped her reckon the plant as holy and powerful .
This is an ingredient beloved by James Cook , and a fragrant evergreen plant addition to the garden . you could even use rosemary tocreate a tiny Christmas tree .
Tuscan Rosemary
If you ’d like to tote up a lively works in a five gal cosmetic pot to your blank space , visit truehearted Growing Trees .
Read more about growing rosemary here .
20. Rowan
Sorbus aucupariais ordinarily bonk as mountain ash or rowan . But some people call it by its other name : witchwood .
Scots conceive that if they planted witchwoods around their homes , it would protect them from witches . You could also string up limb of rowan trees over doorways to grant the same protective cover .
Germans had a similar belief , only they thought that you should carry a twig on your person for protective covering .
This folk tale traveled with German immigrant who root in Pennsylvania and pin European mountain ash sprigs to their shaver ’s coat for protective cover .
If you ’ve ever daydream of finding where the fairies know , take care for a European mountain ash tree . They are said to trip the light fantastic toe underneath the branches . Or the tree could protect you from fairies . depend on who you ask .
One of my favorite myths beleaguer mountain ashes is their power to forecast the weather . A dense crop of the bright ruby berries , a favorite of birds , meant winter would be hard and long .
I can tell apart you from watch my own Sorbus aucuparia that this has n’t proven true in my neck of the Wood , but it ’s still fun to note .
These trees fit into modest spots and tolerate some shade . They also extend up a blanket of white blossoms in the outflow and are punctuated with bright red berries in the downslope . I call back they make a smashing option near a patio or in a modest backyard .
21. Stinging Nettle
If you told young me that stinging nettle ( Urtica dioca ) was a symbol of good luck and eating it three times could prevent you from becoming ill , I would have said you were enjoy maybe a small too much magic herb , if you know what I mean .
astonishingly , that industrial plant that pass on me hours of burning at the stake , itching tegument when I unknowingly brush up against it was value by the Scots , who take it during the fete of Beltane .
Celtic people consider a thick bunch of nettles signaled that fairies lived nearby . It ’s also one of the essential herb used in the Anglo - Saxon healing nine herbs charm .
Stinging nettle
The Norse immortal Loki makes his magical fishing net income out of nettles , consort to lore .
That spend a penny more sense when you pull in that nettle has long been used as a source for making textiles , much like hempen necktie .
seed areavailable for purchase from Earthbeat .
Learn how to grow your own sting nettle now in our guide .
22. Thistle
Have you ever wondered why the Scots chose the thistle ( Onopordum acanthium ) as their national symbol ?
Legend has it that Viking invader were sneaking up on Scottish army . They removed their boots so as to be able to tip quietly , but they stepped on the vicious prickles of thistle industrial plant and alert the Scots to their mien .
But “ thistle ” does n’t technically refer to just one works . It ’s a word used to describe a miscellany of prickly plants that give rise a typically empurpled or ashen efflorescence headland . Most of these fall into the Asteraceae category , but not all .
mass of many culture conceive that growing thistle will ward off thieves .
More than any mythological holding , I ’d guess a guess that this is due to the plant ’s extremely thorny exterior . If it ’s enough to protect it from athirst grazers , it ’s enough to keep burglar away , ripe ?
The flora is also used to symbolize the Virgin Mary in Christian folklore . It ’s said that the plant exude a whitish white sap to prompt worshipers of the Milk River she used to aliment Jesus .
23. Yew
Yews ( Taxusspp . ) are evergreen and able-bodied to continue their spirit by ego - propagating via layering .
The plant lay branches on the earth that root and boom the tree ’s footprint . These new parts of the tree can hold up even if the original Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree dies .
One of the old tree in Europe is an English yew ( T. baccata ) lie with as the Fortingall yew , named for the village in which it grows . Given its impressive age , it ’s no wonderment that the yew was known to represent longevity and unceasing life sentence .
Of of course , these trees are inordinately toxic if consumed , which spawned its own legends and associations .
The druids , for illustration , associated the trees with death and metempsychosis . They also thought yews were immortal and discover them as one of the nine sacred trees .
William Shakespeare babble out about using yews in funerals , and people during the Middle Ages in England were often rubbed with an infusion of yew leave after they died .
I have to say , the Druid were n’t wrong . These trees do seem to be immortal . you could miss them , many of them grow in full sunlight or full shade equally well , and they are rarely disoblige by pests or disease .
you may find yews that are flat coat cover , small or large shrubs , or towering trees .
‘ Tauntonii ’ is a particularly likeable hybrid that spreads wider than it is marvelous and tolerates any Dominicus exposure you determine to give it .
Taunton Yew
Nature Hills Nursery carriesTaunton yews , as these are also known , in # 3 and # 5 containers .
hear how to grow your own yew trees and bush in our guide .
Stay Open to Wonder
Sometimes we think we have the worldly concern jolly much figured out and there ’s little room bequeath for folklore and myths .
But seeing what we ’ve learned in only the past two centuries highlights , in my brain , how much more there is to learn and understand .
Who know what beliefs we hold today will be expose to be completely incorrect ? I ’m go to keep my nous open to the wonder of nature .
I might not swear on my passel ash tree for the atmospheric condition forecast , but I ’m certainly going to keep lying underneath aspen tree to watch the dancing light and listen to the trees chattering with each other . Maybe someday we ’ll recognize what they ’re suppose .
If you ’re looking for a path to get started with some of the wonders of gardening , agree out these guide for beginnersnext :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL rightfield RESERVED.See our TOSfor more particular . earlier published on June 1 , 2016 by Sheila Muckle . Last update on 30th August 2023 . Product photo via Burpee , Earthbeat Seeds , Fast Growing Trees , Nature Hills Nursery , and Red Earth Seeds . Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock .
About
Kristine Lofgren
