Thistles aren’t a single plant. The term ‘thistle’ refers to a group of plants in the Asteraceae family. The main thing they have in common is the fact they’ve got prickles to try to stop herbivores from eating them. Three specific groups, the Carduus, Cirsium and Onopordum, are usually the plants people mean when they […]
plants
The Folklore of Nettles: Edible Stings, Returning Curses, and Warding off Evil
Most people at some point will have experienced the pain of a nettle sting. I once managed to fall hands-first from a fence into a whole patch of nettles. So it’s hardly surprising that people consider them unwanted or unloved plants. The stinging nettle, or common nettle (Urtica dioica) is Europe’s most common nettle. Other […]
Celandine Folklore: A Remedy To Keep Away Witches?
Plants often become unwanted plants when they’re especially prolific. Celandine is one such plant, quickly spreading to fill an area with its glossy green leaves and dizzyingly bright yellow flowers. But celandine is also a confusing plant, since the two varieties with the same name are unrelated. The greater celandine Chelidonium majus is a member […]
Dandelions in Folklore: Making Wishes and Wetting the Bed
Dandelions are cheerful little splashes of colour in lawns and borders. They flower longer than any other plant, providing food for early pollinators. Sadly, not everyone loves them as much as I do. They’re often considered weeds, and are somewhat unwanted plants. But remember. Weeds are just flowers that grow where we don’t necessarily want […]
The Christmas Rose: The Myth and Magic of the Black Hellebore
While holly, ivy and mistletoe might be the most obvious Yuletide plants, there is one more that bears a festive name – the Christmas Rose. Only it’s not a rose at all. It’s a hellebore. A black hellebore, to be precise. Black hellebore is actually named for the colour of its roots, not its petals […]
The Folklore of Ivy: Christmas, Divinations, and Magic
A range of plants enjoy connections with Christmas, not least due to their status as evergreens. At a time of year when many plants have shed their leaves, these plants offer a welcome burst of colour. Ivy (Hedera helix) is no exception, and even features in Christmas carols such as ‘The Holly and the Ivy’. […]
