Herb Robert Geranium robertianumQualities of Herb Robert
'Little herb Robert, bright and small, peeps from the bank or the old stone wall. Little herb Robert, his leaf turns red, his wild geranium, so it is said.' Cicely Mary Barker Common Name: Herb robert Latin : Geranium robertianum Family: Geraniaceae History and/or use: Foliage used to stem blood and lower blood sugar levels. Wildlife Value: Produces nectar for bees, moths and hoverflies. Herb robert is one of our native geraniums growing in shady areas and often on more acid soils. It branches out with stately foliage, each bright green leaf is lined with red carefully drawn by nature's fine artist. The leaves are then placed upon reddish stems and deep pink flowers are delicately positioned above which attract beautiful winged people coloured as though they too were flowers. This plant needs little soil growing in rocks and crevices making use of space wherever it appears, not bound by cultivated soils as its small roots take hold wherever it fancies. Creating space in our own life and allowing our wild nature to express itself beyond the care of our constrained human world is essential for our wellbeing. 'There is a love of wild nature in everybody an ancient mother-love ever showing itself whether recognised or no, and however covered by cares and duties.' John Muir The plant's bright red stems especially when mature, Wordsworth has commented on in his works. 'Poor Robin is yet flowerless, but how gay with his red stalks on this sunny day' William Wordsworth However these stems were noted long before Wordsworth in the phenomenon known as the doctrine of signatures. This term is used to describe the concept that a plant resembles that which it can cure and is said to be employed by tribal doctors across the world. It is said Herb Robert is one of the best plants for blood disorders and to staunch wounds brought to the attention of early herbalists by its red stems. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! The fresh leaves can be used as a compress for wounds and as a sedative and astringent, as well as gargle for sore throats and mouth. A lotion can be made from it for irritated eyes. The plant can be dried and used internally to lower blood sugar for diabetics, help diarrhoea, peptic ulcers and treat an internal haemorrhage. The name Robert may simply mean red (ruber) for its stems or as a reference to Robert the Duke of Normandy whom wrote a medieval medical treatise on the plant. Its foliage has a pungent smell given rise to the local name of ‘stinking bob’. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course.
0 Comments
Holly Fact File.
Holegn ( Anglo-saxon). Holin (middle English to become Holm/Hulver) Hussetum (medieval Latin) Celynen( Welsh) A third of a wheel is holly for it is one of three timbers of the chariot wheel. Third of a wheel. A third of weapons, an iron bar. Fires of coal. Book of Ballymote 1391 Holly is a widespread tree but is less common in Eastern England and East Scotland. Holly is considered bad luck to cut, the result of which has possibly made it the commonest hedgerow tree in East Anglia. Holly wood can be sanded to a beautiful white finish and is hard, strong and durable making it ideal for cogs used in machinery. The close grained wood makes it ideal for carving and turnery. Holly foliage has been used for fodder for both sheep and deer. Its wood also makes good charcoal. Spears and chariot shafts were also made from Holly. Holly is an important tree, a specialty of the British Isles, an example of a evergreen broad-leaved tree rare outside of Britain, just like the Strawberry tree is in South-West Ireland. This inevitably means ancient Holly sites must be protected. Holly woods include sites in Epping, the New Forest, Sherrard’s Park Wood and the grandest stand is in Staverton Park. Holly thrives in the west usually on acid soils, although as with many native species there are exceptions. Holly will both cast and tolerate shade. It is one of the few species which has actually profited from woodcutting rights that were terminated in 1878 due to its shade tolerance. Holly regeneration is increasing as grazing declines. Holly has a poor flora but can be rich in bryophytes. It also provides shelter and food for mammals and birds as well as providing nectar for insects. Holly’s strongest traditions are around the time of the winter solstice as the Holly is the King of the waning year and at this time he reaches his zenith. At the winter solstice the Holly King duels with the Oak King and symbolically dies allowing the Oak, the King of the waxing year to court the Goddess. This dual repeats itself in the summer solstice when the Holly King wins and precedes again over the waning year. The oak and the holly representing the play of light and dark at the time of the longest and shortest day. Holly speaks of tenacity, a refusal to give up and its evergreen leaves lift one’s spirits and shelter the fairies and elves. It is said it is safe to bring Holly foliage into the house at the time of the Winter Solstice (21st/22nd December) as the nature spirits are not going to harm you provided they are removed by Imbolc (1st February). In some parts of Europe Holly is known as ‘Christ’s thorn’ as the thorny leaves and red berries represent the suffering of Christ and the passion of his message. The Green Knight from the Arthurian tales has a Holly club and perhaps represents the challenging Holly giant. Nadcranntail, a famous warrior of Irish stories carried nine holly spears charred and sharpened as did Mannanan Mac lir the Irish Sea God. The weaving sisters who reside at the base of the Tree of Life are said use holly spindles to weave the threads of life that govern our destiny. The twelfth night known as holy night may have originally been known as Holly night and the strongman of the village carried a heavy holly branch through the streets as part of a procession on this night. Holly is considered to be a guardian against evil spirits, poisons, short-tempered angry elementals, thunder and lightning. The Ogham name Tinne means a link as in a chain or a bridge but to where? Maybe the Other-world, as the kennings for this tree point to the otherworldly character of the Holly Ogham and it is regarded as a pivotal point for the other letters and an in-between state of life and death. Medicinally holly leaves can be used to induce a sweat and therefore rid the body of poisons and fevers. The berries are a purgative and if dried and powdered can help relieve diarrhea and heavy menstrual flow. Receive our informative newsletter on the folklore of trees, plants and countryside traditions: HERE Red archangel (Lamium purpurea) White archangel ( L.album) Yellow archangel ( Lamiastrum galeobdolon)
Dead nettles or Archangel (Lamiums) Common Name: Red Dead nettle Latin : Lamium purpureum Family: Lamiaceae History and/or use: Nutritious salad and an uplifting tea. Wildlife Value: Nectar providing plant for long-tongued insects and food for caterpillars. Qualities of Dead Nettle Through sun and rain, the country lane, The field, the road, are my abode. Though leaf and bud be splashed with mud, Who cares? Not I!—I see the sky, The kindly sun, the wayside fun Of tramping folk who smoke and joke, The bairns who heed my dusty weed (No sting have I to make them cry), And truth to tell, they love me well. My brothers, White, and Yellow bright, Are finer chaps than I, perhaps; Who cares? Not I! So now good-bye. Cicely Mary Barker The Lamiums are a delightful selection of plants often known as dead nettles as their leaves resemble the nettle but have no sting. I prefer the name archangel which seems more deserving and refers to the fact they are still in flower on Michaelmas day ( 29th September). The red dead nettle as the above poem so aptly describes is like a cheerful peasant growing on cultivated and waste grounds amongst the dust and mud with its delightful 2-lipped hooded flowers that invite the long-tongued insects in for a sip of nectar. These winged bundles of joy will find this nectar supply as early as February and include the bumble and red mason bees. Its leaves provide food for the white ermine, angle shades and garden tiger moths. The taller white dead nettle looks more stately with larger more prominent white flowers which also support much wildlife such as bees and moths and the small Green tortoise beetle which hides its legs and antennae under its body when threatened. This beetle seems to like the dead nettle family also feeding on woundworts and water mints. The yellow species ( considered less herbal although can be used) tends to grow on heavy spoils of wood and hedgerow and differs from the others with its more robust aerial shoots. The white species is not seen in more natural habitats and seems to crop up around areas which were early Norman settlements so may well have been introduced as food. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! The red and white can both be added to salads or cooked as a vegetable, they were both once eaten by humans and prepared as pig food. As a tea the plant is uplifting and as a healer can aid green wounds, ulcers, bruises, burns and ‘draweth’ splinters. It has also been said it can be used magically to protect cattle and as a guardian against black magic and evil spirits. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Apple tree - Malus sylvestris (Latin) - Quert ( Ogham) Shelter of a wild hind is an apple. Shelter of a hind, lunatic, death sense, a time when a lunatic’s senses come back to him. Excellent emblem, protection. Force of a man. Book of Ballymote 1391 Like the hazel tree, apple is a tree of knowledge and a provider of nutritious food. The apple tree is known in many cultures and traditions including Greek mythology and Christian lore. In Britain there are many tales and indeed warnings of the eating of apples. The general agreement amongst these traditions is that the apple is connected to the otherworld and can confer divine knowledge and inspiration. Stories speak of Isles of paradise with sacred apple trees. Glastonbury is said to be a physical manifestation of Avalon from the Gaelic 'Evain avaloch' meaning holy hill of apples. Thomas of Ercledoune was given the gift of prophecy by the Queen of the fairies and warned he may never return from the otherlands. The Apple is a symbol of office for those great souls such as Sweeny Geilt, Taliesin and Merlin who dared to risk their lives and especially the sanity of their minds to travel to the otherlands. Shamanic traditions across the globe speak of the healers or wise ones who risk their lives for the knowledge to help their tribe or community. The ogham letters for apple is QU or CU a synonym for a warrior in Celtic lore, in this case a spiritual warrior unafraid to face death or travel to the otherlands. Orchards come into their own at Samhain ( the time when the otherlands are most accessible). Apples are piled high and eaten in abundance. Apples are wassailed (celebrated) with song, ritual and toasts. Often libations of cider are poured on the apple tree’s roots. In ancient times Pliny recognised 22 varieties of apple but since then over 2000 varieties have made their way across Europe especially from France into Britain. Apples contain much goodness as they are full of sugars, amino acids, vitamins, pectin, mineral salts, malic and tartaric acids. They are good for infections of the intestine, constipation, fatigue, hypertension, rheumatism, bronchial diseases, coughs and cholesterol. Our native Crab Apple is easily overlooked in woodlands as it is often grows as a single tree. The true native has long pointed thorns and a rather shrubby untidy appearance which is why it bears the name crab from the Norse word skrab meaning ‘scrubby’. However its presence is announced in the autumn when you will often notice copious amounts of small bitter apples upon the tree and ground. The crab apple however is not to be dismissed by the seeker of better tastes as we must remember this tree is the ancestor of all our cultivated apples and is still the rootstock to which the grafts of cultivated apples are made. Crab apples also make a wonderful jelly when mixed with rowan berries. Crab-apples, Crab-apples, out in the wood, Little and bitter, yet little and good! The apples in orchards, so rosy and fine, Are children of wild little apples like mine. The branches are laden, and droop to the ground; The fairy-fruit falls in a circle around; Now all you good children, come gather them up: They’ll make you sweet jelly to spread when you sup. One little apple I’ll catch for myself; I’ll stew it, and strain it, to store on a shelf In four or five acorn-cups, locked with a key In a cupboard of mine at the root of the tree. Cicely Mary Barker In the spring the crab apple is more easily noticed with its wonderful display of pink blossom which exudes a perfume at night to attract insects, not unlike honeysuckle. The apple tree tells us it is a time of fruition, a time to gather our resources and feel abundant. It also protects us from the more negative states of the mind. Explore and meditate with the Apple tree this Sunday 11th October @ 6pm Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scriptus)
My hundred thousand bells of blue, the splendour of the spring, they carpet all the woods anew with royalty of sapphire hue; the primrose is the queen, 'tis true but surely I am King! Ah yes, the peerless woodland king. Cicely Mary Barker 1925 Bluebells are often thought of as a symbol of the beginning of summer in England, forming dense carpets of azure blue. A blue haze can be seen throughout the woods, a breathtaking sight revealing the glory of our woods at this time. People flock from other parts of the world to witness this majestic display. The individual flowers hang from the stem as bell-shaped flowers with creamy anthers. A typical sight in Hampshire and West Sussex is a hazel coppice filled with bluebells. Hazel has strong associations with the animal worlds and greater knowledge. The bluebell appearing at a key Celtic festival invites us into a land of exuberance, the Bright realms. Fox wanders through the woods as an animal that journeys between the realms and if the fox needs help she can ring the bluebell for assistance. A plant that is in such abundance you would have expected it to have been used. There are very few references to bluebell in the medicinal world; though it has been noted the roots were chopped, fried and applied as a plaster in Inverness. The bulb is poisonous but can be made into starch and glue. With extreme caution it can be used as a diuretic and styptic. Even in small doses it may not be safe to use. Please do not use the bluebell yourself, this information is for your interest only! To learn more and sign up for our inspiring free newsletter please Click Here Hazel Fact File
Corylus avellana (Latin) Coll ( Ogham) Hazel is a tree as well-used and known as the oak; it has played a huge part in the history of Woodsmanship in Britain. It spread effectively throughout Britain after the last ice age and probably helped form a staple food for early humankind. The hazel is known as the Celtic Tree of Knowledge and it is not hard to see why the nuts (representing illumination) were revered in a time when much of our native foods must have been bland in comparison. Hazel is connected to the life of the salmon which also represents illumination and must have also been a staple food fit for the gods! Hazelnuts are rich in mineral salts and can be ground to a powder to make flour. The hazelnut can also be used to soothe sore throats and relieve symptoms of a head cold. It is also thought that hazelnuts bestow the gift of eloquence. Not only does the hazel tree provide a rich source of food, its wood is ideal for many crafts due to it being strong, flexible and easy to split and coppice. The wood can be used to make hurdles for fencing, walls for housing, springels to hold thatch in place, stakes and supports to grow plants. It can also be used to make fishing rods, baskets and coracles. No wonder the hazel became so venerated with its multitude of uses. The traditional stories explore a deep spiritual aspect to its multi-faceted usage. One of the most famous story connected to hazel is of Fionn MacCuill from the Fenian cycle in Irish mythology who becomes enlightened merely from sucking the juice of the salmon of Fec which was caught in a pool surrounded by nine hazel trees, the nuts of which the salmon fed upon. Hazel catkins mark the time of Imbolc or Oimelc (which means butter bag) as they resemble lamb’s tails and this season is traditionally the time when lambs are born and sheep begin to lactate. It is also the festival of Brighid who amongst other things is the muse of poets through the hazel tree. The hazel is connected to the elements and has lightness about it. However there is also the story of the dripping hazel tree poisoned by the head of the giant Balor ( leader of the Fomhoire). This may well be a threshold tree acting as a guardian to the Otherworlds. To confront this tree is to experience your darker nature. Satire and keening can be associated with this tree in Celtic lore. Hazel generally prefers a more acid soil and supports a rich flora; it will co-exist happily with honey fungus provided there is not too much shade and trees aren’t planted! Commercial forestry does not employ hazel so extensively as it would have done at one time partly due to a decline in the faggot trade although hazel is still in demand for wattle hurdles often now used for motorway fencing and in gardens. Hampshire and Sussex are strongholds for hazel but on a national scale hazel is declining and is threatened due to its lack of regeneration. Neglected coppice means the tree will not flower and therefore fruit. When hazel does fruit the wood pigeons and squirrels will devour the nuts, often when they are still unripe meaning dropped seed will not grow. The hazel tree as with so many of our trees needs our attention and protection as its habitat becomes neglected, this is a perfect example of how keeping our traditional crafts alive and using rather than neglecting the tree will help preserve it for future generations. If you have enjoyed this article you may wish to subscribe to our free newsletter packed with articles and updates on trees, plants and nature connection. Ribwort plantain Greater Plantain hoary plantainCommon Name: Greater Plantain Latin : Plantago major Family: Plantaginaceae
History and/or use:. Traditional cure for both external and internal bleeding, insect bites and burns. Edible salad plant. Wildlife Value: Source of seeds for birds. 'Hullo, Snailey-O ! How’s the world with you?Put your little horns out; Tell me how you do? There’s rain, and dust, and sunshine, Where carts go creaking by; You like it wet, Snailey; I like it dry! The four common species of Plantain are listed above. The greater (Plantago major) has the broadest leaves followed by the hoary plantain ( P.media) which leaves are nearly as broad but are hairy where the greater is not. Ribwort Plantain (P.lanceolata) has longer narrow leaves which are often downy. There are also two seaside species called buckshorn plantain (P.coronopus) and sea plantain ( P.maritima). Plantain species treat piles and diarrhoea whilst the ribwort species is especially recommended to treat asthma and bronchitis. The leaves can be dried and taken as a tea for the above treatments. Fresh leaves are ideal to check bleeding of wounds and soothe burns and sores as well as insect bites. The leaves can also be dried to make an ointment which is also effective for wounds, burns and insect bites. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is ! The greater plantain has the largest and most abundant flower spike of the plantain species. One may use the seed to make bannock and add to soups as an alternative to linseeds with mucilaginous and laxative properties. Birds also enjoy the seed given rise to local names such as bird’s meat and canary flower. Five thousand years ago evidence suggests that early farmers cleared a lot of land for farming practice. One such evidence is the increase in plants such as the plantain which will grow in cleared compact ground and withstand heavy grazing. This is possibly why the plant is called Plantago from the root word Planta meaning sole of foot. A further reference is made to this theory by the Native Americans calling this plant white man’s footprint. Hoary plantain is the only species which is insect pollinated using its delicate scent to attract bees. This plant I have associated with the oak which also has benefited from human interference and has similar herbal properties. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Yarrow ( Achillea millefolium ) 'Among the harebells and the grass, the grass all feathery with seed, I dream, and see all the people pass: They pay me little heed. And yet the children (so I think) in spite of other flowers more dear, would miss my clusters white and pink, if I should disappear.' Cicely Mary Barker 1925 Common Name: Yarrow Latin : Achillea millefolium Family: Asteraceae History and/or use: Yarrow is full of nutrients and minerals and can help sleep, pain and bleeding Wildlife Value: Invertebrate food plant. This common plant seen in the verges and other grassy habitats is an effective herb for many wounds containing a natural antiseptic called cineol. It can also help to hasten the clotting time of blood which has given rise to its folk name ‘nosebleed’. The herb can be used fresh or dried and put direct onto a wound or made into an ointment. Yarrow induces sweating, can help you sleep, eases pain and reduces bleeding. Yarrow is full of nutrients and minerals and when mixed with vervain I have found it to be ideal for fevers and nerve pain. It helps aid digestion and is a good general tonic for the system. Its Latin name Achillea reminds us that Achilles used it to cure wounds inflicted by iron weapons as did the Anglo-Saxons warriors. In Ireland the plant is said to drive away evil and therefore sickness. It is also considered a Woman’s herb increasing attractiveness and protecting them from men. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! 'I will pick green yarrow that my figure may be fuller, that my voice may be sweeter, that my lips will be like the juice of the strawberry.... I shall wound every man, but no man shall wound me.' The above Gaelic chant implies it is a herb under the protection of the Goddess. The plant itself speaks of tenacity as it is able to lie low when the grass is cut building up its strength from a strong tap root and yet is capable of growing high when left to its own devices. Its many clusters of flowers and numerous leaves continue its tale of tenacity, a plant worth respecting and a beautiful addition to the grass sward. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection join our mailing list and receive inspiring articles and information on courses. The Oak Tree- King of the woodsQuercus robur( pendunculate oak ) Quercus petraea ( sessile oak ) Duir ( Ogham name)
Higher than bushes is Oak. Highest of bushes and a third. Kneeling work, bright and shining work. Craft work. Book of Ballymote 1391 The oak is a tree that has survived well since it regenerated in early wildwood times. It was avoided by the first farmers and encouraged by the early carpenters; no other tree in Britain has captured the imagination and attention of mankind more than the oak. Its timber is durable and good to work with and it has many medicinal qualities and useful tannins. The oak support countless wildlife and grows to impressive proportions, living for many hundreds of years. Its success is partly due to mankind’s love of its timber and its ability to capture the nation’s heart. There are two species of Oak which were first recognised in 1586-7 although this was not really taken on board by British botanists until the 1790s. Quercus robur (Pedunculate oak) is what we think of as the English Oak with its wide and rustic appearance. It has a dense canopy and rough un-stalked leaves with stalked acorns. Quercus petraea ( Sessile oak) is often a taller more stately tree with a more open canopy and flat palmate leaves which are stalked and it bears un-stalked acorns. Both these trees can hybridise and cause even more confusion. Both oaks are known to produce Lammas shoots which are healthy erect shoots that grow strongly in August at a time when other foliage maybe struggling in this sometimes dry time of the year. There is a striking rare variety of Pedunculate oak which produces red Lammas shoots. Sessile oak is more common in the west and north, most commonly growing in the Scottish highlands. Pure oak wood generally grows on the most acid of woodland soils although it is known to grow on calcareous soils in Scotland where it is much more widespread. Hatfield Forest in Essex is an exception as it is an ancient oakwood on calcareous soil outside of Scotland. Oak is generally a first coloniser not growing well in shade. It is not so much birch and hawthorn grow first on oakwood regeneration sites but just quicker thus deceiving the avid naturalist who assumes they came first! In the Doomsday Book woods were assessed by pannage although this practice died out soon after as farmers began to feed pigs in more conventional ways. Beech mast was also used for pannage. The Anglo- Saxon phrase ac means oak and can be noticed in many place names such as Accrington, Auckland and Acton. The traditions of Oak are numerous; from Christian lore the tree has been used to preach under and a place where Angels have appeared. In Celtic lore it is the abode of strong male deities such as the Dagdha, Herne the Hunter, Cernunnos and the archetypal images of the spirit of the trees such as the Green Man or Green George. It is said to be a channel for the might of the sky gods such as Taranis, Thunor, Esus and Thor as it attracts lightning. Merlin and Robin Hood were said to have been protected under the oak’s canopy. St Brigit founded a retreat in Kildare called the Cell of Oak and it is said that the Nuns used acorns as fuel on their fires. Charles the second hid in an oak after defeat at the battle of Worcester on the 29th May 1651 which is now known as Royal Oak Day. At one time Oak sprigs were collected for hats and door knockers which may well be a continuation of the Druidic Oak apple day still celebrated in Wiltshire. The Oak Man, Jack in the Green or the May King dance through the streets wreathed in oak and hawthorn to claim the May Queen. Traditionally the Oak King Giant fights the Holly King Giant at the Winter Solstice making him the King of the waxing year and the two oak trees, Gog and Magog at Glastonbury are said to be the last two giants to have inhabited Britain. Oak bark is used for diarrhoea, piles, inflammations of the throat, chilblains and frost bite. As a powder it is used for nosebleeds and bedsores. Bruised oak leaves can be applied to wounds to ease inflammations and as a mild antiseptic. Please see a medical herbalist if you wish to use oak as a medicine! For a more detailed exploration you may wish to explore our Tree Folklore Course and support valuable Conservation work. Hawthorn- Guardian of the EarthHawthorn Crataegus monogyna (common hawthorn) Crataegus laevigata (midland hawthorn) Droiheann (old English) Hagaporn ( Anglo-Saxon) Huath ( ogham ) Huath is Whitethorn. A meet of hounds is White thorn, it is formidable owing to its thorns. Pack of wolves. A difficult night, Hawthorn. Whitening of face. Book of Ballymote 1391 There are two types of Hawthorn known in this country. The first is common and widespread, the second (known as Midland or simply woodland Hawthorn) is restricted to the South and East and is an ancient woodland indicator, an uncommon sight. The latter has a bushy habit and shallowly lobed leaves, able to flower in the shade. This distinction was first made in France in 1790. Hawthorn, especially since the 1500s, has been an important underwood species grown for fuel and its bark used for ink. Before barbed wire hawthorn was our main fencing, and early forestry writers recommend hawthorn as a nurse tree when sowing a new plantation. However the tree can colonise chalk downland too effectively becoming a permanent habitat thus threatening the delicate balance of our Downs. This is known as being ‘bushed over’. However the hawthorn is generally welcome, tolerating shade and grazing effectively (although new growth takes three weeks for the thorns to harden up and protect the plant from mammals like deer). The tree supports many insects, birds and mammals providing cover, nectar and fruit. The Hawthorn has two sides to it. On one hand it is a healer of the heart, a tree of protection and supporter of life. A guardian of sacred wells (to which cloth is tied to), a love charm, helping cattle thrive and friendly to travellers as well as a food source for them, which is why it is known as the bread and cheese tree. This is the blossoming spring tree dedicated to the maiden goddes such as Olwen of the White Track. However as a tree that protects and harbours the elementals it can also have a sinister side to its nature. Stories of people trying to fell certain Hawthorn trees normally ends in tragedy, maybe the most famous being bulldozed by John DeLorean in Ireland. This is the winter thorn standing in the thicket as a speared warrior dedicated to the powerful archetypal earth god such as Yspaddeden Pencawr which means giant hawthorn. Huath, its Ogham name, means frightful or horrible, reminding us of the inevitable backlash our actions can bring. It is said in the old stories devastating satire was pronounced whilst holding the thorn of the tree. Maybe this is why there is a custom of adorning and worshipping Hawthorn known as ‘bawming the thorn’. Hawthorn wood is hard wearing making it ideal for knife/dagger handles. Its root wood is also used to make beautiful small boxes and combs. It is also good firewood. As a herb its berries, leaves and flowers are great for heart problems, especially high blood pressure as well as being good for insomnia and helping one relax. Please do not use if you have low blood pressure unless prescribed by a qualified herbalist. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! You may wish to join us for our Woodland Bard Evening on 16th May@6pm to explore the hawthorn and her mysteries. |
Details
Poetry of flowersJoin me to explore the flora of the British Isles on this blog. My intention is to attempt to capture the unique quality and beauty of each species of flower, tree or shrub. For every species featured I will be growing many more wildflowers to celebrate the joy of their existence, their intrinsic conservation value and bewildering array of uses. For nearly 30 years I have noted, studied and explored wildflowers in the field much to the patience of the walker beside me. To share this passion is a heartfelt plea to respect, preserve and care for all British Wildflowers no matter how common they seem. Archives
February 2024
Categories |