The spookiest holiday of them all
– Halloween – will soon be upon us. And what’s Halloween without
some spooky-sounding plants or scary gardens of yore? Things like
mother-in-law’s tongue, ghost gum and witch hazel just sound scary.
Then, there are poisonous or narcotic plants.
The spookiest holiday of them all – Halloween – will soon be upon us. And what’s Halloween without some spooky-sounding plants or scary gardens of yore? Things like mother-in-law’s tongue, ghost gum and witch hazel just sound scary. Then, there are poisonous or narcotic plants.
Deadly nightshade, also known as Atropa belladonna, is perhaps one of the most notorious. This plant also goes by names such as devil’s herb or devil’s cherry because of its shiny black fruit. During the Renaissance, juices of this plant was used as makeup.
Taken internally, the juices resulted in a desirable spaciness, hence the name belladonna or beautiful lady. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it is belladonna that is taken by Juliet so that she will sleep and appear dead.
Another scary-sounding plant is monkshood. This fall perennial is also known by the name of wolfbane. Arrows dipped in this poisonous herb was used by Native Americans to kill game. The witch’s brew in Shakespeare’s Macbeth calls for “tooth of wolf” and refers to monkshood. In Romeo and Juliet, it is monkshood that Romeo takes after he thinks Juliet has died.
The common vinca or periwinkle has a history of use in witchcraft. It’s been called the devil’s eye or Sorcerer’s violet, and it was used in wreaths hung from the neck of felons on their way to the gallows.
But it was also used as a countercharm against evil spirits. Culpeper, a famous herbalist, said that if the leaves of vinca are eaten together by a husband and wife, they will cause love between them.
Mentioned above, mother-in-law’s tongue or snake plant is actually a pretty common houseplant. Going by the botanical name of sansevieria, these houseplants are appreciated because they will grow almost anywhere, including dark areas. Plants have thick, patterned leaves that grow straight up about 1 to 4 feet high. Rigidly upright, these 2-inch-wide leaves are usually dark green and banded with gray green or creamy yellow stripes.
Other plants already mentioned include witch hazel and ghost gum. Witch hazel or Hamamelis is a deciduous tree or large shrub that are native to the eastern United States. Ghost gum is actually a type of Eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus pauciflora). It gets its scary name from all white trunk and branches, and narrow gray-green leaves that are 3 to 6 inches long – hence “ghost gum.”
Finally, some herbs known for their protective powers against evil include angelica, dill, rosemary and caraway. Oh, yeah – don’t forget the garlic. Garlic, as any Gilroy resident knows, can ward off vampires. Don’t even let me get started about that …
