These 7 Captivating Plants Have Mythical Origins – and They’re Easy to Grow in Any Yard
Fill your yard with plants that are steeped in myth and meaning
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Natural beauty doesn’t solely lie in a plant’s blooms, bark and foliage but often in rich plant folklore and other sensory qualities too. Backstories that have evolved over generations, weaving together historical events and cultural superstitions, are often rooted in a plant’s natural attributes. Usually signalling a practical use or herbal remedy, these stories tend to celebrate a specific plant characteristic such as a valuable essential oil, soothing sap or useful fibre.
Just like feng shui plants, knowing the long held stories and associations behind specific plants can help unlock positive energy, help ward off bad luck and generally promote good health and wellbeing.
Catmint
Easy to grow, this sun loving perennial rewards with clouds of blue-purple blooms continuously appearing from June to September.
Loved by felines thanks to the menthol-like oils in the foliage, catmint was also revered by the Greeks and Romans who used the plant for its medicinal qualities. It is also a useful tick-repellent ground cover plant.
‘Nepeta or Catmint is said to help ward off spirits when planted near the entrance of a structure,’ says horticultural expert Katie Sunderlage.
‘They are planted as guardians and invite peace and tranquillity to anyone who enters, while keeping out negative energy. This fragrant herb has also been used for generations indoors, burning to help clear out evil or any negative presence inside.’
There are many varieties of catmint to include in your planting. Perfect for softening path edges and billowing through borders, be sure to check out easy going Nepeta 'Walkers Low', available from Burpee and low growing Nepeta 'Blue Moon' with it's densely packed flowers. You can find catmint seeds at True Leaf Market.
Hawthorn
Often overlooked, Hawthorns or Crataegus monogyna are stalwarts of the wildlife garden and one of the best hedges for pollinators and privacy.
Often referred to as Mayflower – thanks to its mass of tiny white blooms against green leaves that appear each spring – these then give way to clusters of glossy, red berries in fall. It’s this plant’s many seasonal guises that have led to its rich folklore.
‘Hawthorn trees have long been a sacred tree within Celtic traditions said to be the entrance to fairy realms,’ explains Katie. ‘When planted, Hawthorns are believed to protect a home, bringing with it love and happiness. However, cutting down a Hawthorne is said to bring misfortune and will anger the guardian spirits within.’
Often regarded as a dual tree, mixing beauty and danger together, thanks to its white blooms and sharp thorns. When dormant, hawthorn hedges respond well to pruning but be sure to kit up with long, protective stout gloves available from Amazon first.
Mugwort
With tiny yellow to red blooms clustered on tall stems, these plants offer a haze of color from July to September. An herbaceous perennial, around 4.9ft (1.5m) tall, it's the fuzzy aromatic foliage of Artemisia vulgaris that holds much mystery.
‘Mugwort has long been planted around a home to offer protection,’ says Katie. ‘When cut, Mugwort was placed within a shoe, pocket or satchel to offer protection when one would take a journey away from home. Brought indoors, it is often burned as incense to help bring positive spirits into the home and ward off nightmares when sleeping.’
Named after the Greek goddess of the Moon Artemis, the herb is thought to encourage prophetic and lucid dreams, with its crushed foliage being used in tisanes and sprigs often laid under mattresses and pillows.
The Anglo-Saxons regarded mugwort as a medicinal plant and one of the ‘Nine Sacred Herbs’ depicted in the Old English poem known as the Lacnunga, a 10th-century collection of healing remedies, charms, and prayers.
Find mugwort seeds at True Leaf Market.
Operations Manager at Holland Group, managing the customer service department and purchasing. Katie has been in the green industry since 2005 in the Greater Milwaukee area, earning her degree in Horticulture in 2008. She has been able to share her love for plants working in multiple garden centers, in sales positions and most recently in an online retail platform at Holland Group.
Elder
With their deeply cragged bark, sprays of fragrant pink-white blossom and juicy berries in fall, Elder is an attractive and desirable deciduous shrub. Split into two distinct groups: American Elder which includes (Sambucus canadensis) and Red Elder (S. racemosa) and European Elder (Sambucus nigra) they are each considered great border plants and easy to maintain.
Long associated with Celtic mythology, 'faeries' and 'little folk', it was thought that this tree was a gathering point for magical folk on Midsummers Eve but that you should definitely avoid sleeping under one due to pixie mischief.
Elder trees were also thought to be home to powerful spirits. ‘In Scandinavian folklore, elder trees were believed to house the Elder Mother, a guardian spirit,’ says horticultural expert Elin Harryson. ‘Planted near homes for protection, elders were treated with deep respect, as harming one was thought to bring misfortune.’
Modern varieties bear elaborate leaf shapes in a range of colors. Sambucus nigra 'Eva', available at Nature Hills, is a particular designer favorite.
Elin is a trained gardener and Plant Expert at Planta, with a background in plant protection, biological control and years of hands-on experience with houseplants. She’s passionate about helping people care for plants in a way that’s both practical and easy to understand.
Ferns
Picturing these arching fronds glistening with water droplets, it's easy to see how ferns are associated with the magical underworld.
‘In Nordic folklore, it was believed that the fern would bloom only at midnight on Midsummer’s Eve, and that finding, or picking, the flower would grant wishes and hidden knowledge,’ says Elin Harryson.
Soft shield ferns and Ostrich Ferns, available from Burpee are amongst the best ferns for shade. Requiring little attention other than the removal of dead foliage in early spring, they add welcome texture and ground cover.
'Planted together, elder, willow and ferns create a Nordic woodland edge, a garden that feels protective, grounded, and quietly magical,' adds Elin.
Narcissus
Cheery and uplifting, narcissus brighten the later winter gloom with their sunshine yellow petals, but familiarize yourself with the myth behind these flowering bulbs and you may regard them differently.
‘In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a beautiful but aloof young man who rejected all suitors, including the nymph Echo, whose heartbreak left her only a voice. As punishment for his cold indifference, the gods caused Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection. Unable to tear himself away, he wasted away, and in his place bloomed the narcissus flower, forever symbolizing beauty, self-obsession, and unreturned love,’ explains horticulturalist Peggy Anne Montgomery.
One of the easiest spring bulbs to grow in pots, beds and lawns make light work of getting these blooms in the ground with a manual hole digger from Walmart.
Peggy Anne Montgomery is a horticultural professional with more than 30 years of US and international experience in garden marketing and communications. An account executive for the Garden Media Group, she currently represents Dutch Royal Anthos, a trade organization for Dutch bulb growers and exporters in the US and Canada.
Sage
Common sage or Salvia officinalis is a treasured herb that has long had medicinal and spiritual properties.
It’s Latin name salvia derives from ‘Salvare’ meaning to heal and to save so it should be no surprise that it is often used in ‘smudging’ ceremonies where a tied herb bundle is burnt. The smoke releases the leaves antimicrobial properties which ‘clean and purify’ the air.
Used by Romans, Native Americans, Druids and spiritualists today, the natural oils are also thought to relieve stress, clarify thought and strengthen the spiritual connection with one’s ancestors.
Suited to growing in USDA hardiness Zones 5-8, this sun loving herb will flower from late spring to mid-summer, producing semi-woody stems and gray-green foliage as it matures. Find organic sage seeds at True Leaf Market.
Knowing a plant's folklore and cultural associations can help us re-evaluate how we see and use these plants. Many medicinal plants often thrive in our yards undetected and are worth learning about.
