Guest guest Posted July 8, 2007 Report Share Posted July 8, 2007 Thirteen Plants for a Witch's Garden Some of the plants listed below have powerful effects on the human body. Monkshood and Belladonna were ingredients of " flying ointments " that witches rubbed into their skin. They are capable of causing the delirium and irregular heartbeat that may have produced the sensation of flying. Foxglove and Yew, also poisonous plants, produce dangerous and unpleasant symptoms, including heartbeat disturbances. Other plants on the list derived their power from magic and were used by ordinary mortals to defend themselves from evil, as well as by sorcerers for evil purposes. Not all are toxic; Elder produces edible berries and the young roots and basal leaves of Rampion are still used in salads. Achillea (Yarrow) - This magical plant could conjure up the Devil or drive him away. Aconitum (Monkshood, Wolfsbane) - Beautiful summer- and fall-flowering perennials, which contain some of the most powerful poisons in existence. Artemisia (Mugwort and Wormwood) - Witches used the former to raise spirits from the dead; Mugwort was also used medicinally (to treat epilepsy) and magically (to protect from evil). Atropa (Belladonna, Deadly Nightshade) - Not a beautiful garden subject and very poisonous but perhaps the plant most associated with witchcraft. Named for Atropos, the Fate who severs the thread of life, Belladonna is also called Devil's Cherries because of the good tasting but potentially fatal shiny black berries it produces. Campanula Rapunculus (Rampion) - Supposedly grown as a salad plant by the witch in the fairy tale " Rapunzel. " Digitalis (Foxglove) - Other names include Witches' Gloves and Dead Men's Bells. Sambucus (European Elder) - A magic bush, powerful for or against evil depending upon how it was invoked. Sempervivum (Houseleek) - Also called Devil's Beard, this plant was believed to protect homes from lightning. Taxus (Yew) - A symbol of sorrow, Yew could be an ingredient of witch's brew, as Shakespeare's witch in Macbeth reveals when she throws in the cauldron " slips of yew / Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse. " Valeriana (Valerian, Garden Heliotrope) - A witch's aphrodisiac. Verbascum (Mullein) - Important medicinal planted by monks to ward off evil though some said witches used the dried stalks, dipped in tallow, to light their infamous " Sabbaths. " Verbena (Vervain) - A Druid's plant and used by witches, Vervain is also called Herb of Grace and was believed to guard against snakes and bring good luck. Vinca (Periwinkle, Myrtle) - Another old medicinal that also deters evil though it was used in magic, hence another of its common names, " Sorcerer's Violet. " The Gardener's Companion (linked to Amazon.com) A Book of Lists and Lore by Roberta M. Coughlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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