In the Garden: Holiday plant legends and lore
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The holidays are here and you are probably seeing many traditional holiday plants for sale at your favorite flower shop and garden center. These may or may not be part of your holiday traditions but knowing a bit about their lore can be something fun to share at holiday gatherings.
The traditional carol “The Holly and the Ivy” mentions two of the evergreen plants associated with the holidays. Ivy, holly and mistletoe were three green plants that brightened the deciduous British forests in winter.
Winter greenery was prized for its beauty and symbolic assurance that spring would come again. Ivy along with holly and mistletoe were the standard holiday decorations for homes and churches before the Christmas tree.
English ivy is a popular houseplant that thrives in a bright location. Purchase or train English ivy into a wreath or tree for the holidays. Or grow it on an obelisk or orb and enjoy its year-round beauty.
Outdoors, English ivy is used as a groundcover or trained on a trellis or home for vertical interest. It is considered invasive in some parts of the United States, so check before adding this plant to your landscape.
The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe started in England in the 19th century. According to mistletoe etiquette, a man should remove a berry each time he kisses a woman. And when the last berry is gone, the kissing is over.
This parasitic plant was believed to have magical powers since it seemed to mysteriously appear in tree canopies and grow without roots. What original observers did not realize is, fruit-eating birds deposited seeds in the trees. Once the seeds sprouted, they formed a parasitic relationship with the tree.
Mistletoe hunting is one traditional way this high-hanging plant has been harvested. Hunters take aim and shoot. Unfortunately, some of the mistletoe can be blown to pieces, adding to the challenge of this harvesting technique.
Some cultures believed mistletoe could cure diseases, bestow fertility, and protect homes from ghosts. The Druids used branches of mistletoe to welcome in the New Year and thus the plant became associated with Christmas.
Be sure to hang your mistletoe high or opt for the artificial sprigs as the berries are poisonous to people and pets.
You may be surprised to know Wassailing is another plant-related tradition. In England, people would visit apple orchards caroling along the way. Once there, they would sprinkle cider or liquor over the trees’ roots while chanting to help ensure a good crop the coming year.
You may have already purchased a poinsettia or two to give or decorate your home. It was once cultivated by the Aztecs who called it cuetlaxochitl and used its colorful bracts for dye and the milky sap as medicine. The name poinsettia comes from Joel Poinsett, a U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in the 1820s, who happened upon a blooming poinsettia shrub and brought cuttings back to the United States.
The legend of the poinsettia is also of Mexican origin. It is said on the first Christmas two small children wanted to visit the baby Jesus but were too poor to buy him a present. So, they picked weeds along the road to decorate his crib. The other children made fun of their gift, that is, until their gift of love, turned a beautiful red.
Take time to enjoy family, friends and of course your favorite holiday plants and traditions.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine, and her website is MelindaMyers.com, which features gardening videos, free webinars, monthly gardening tips, and more.
