Wild Flower Legends

Below is a further selection of flowers that can be seen in gardens and parks all over Britain. As well as providing beauty and fragrance, many of these plants were once known for their hidden meaning.

Scottish Bluebell

Known as the Harebell in other parts of Britain, the Scottish bluebell is also known as ‘witches’ thimbles’ and ‘fairy bells’, and it was often thought that fairies lived among them. It is said that the Haida of Canada called them ‘rain flowers’ and children were warned it might rain if they picked them.

Crocus

Highly prized for its saffron, which was once used to dye medieval garments yellow, the crocus is often a symbol of light. It was believed that wearing garlands of the flowers would prevent drunkenness. Saffron is still sought after in cooking.

Daisy

Most often regarded as a weed, the plant’s name comes from the ‘day’s eye’, symbolising the way the daisy opens early each morning and closes in the evening. It often represents innocence and is an emblem of Freya, the mother goddess. The 14th century writer, Geoffrey Chaucer, mentions the daisy in the prologue to The Legend of Good Women,

‘That well by reason men it call may,

The daisie, or else the eye of the day

The emprise, and flour of floures all’.

Foxglove

Well known for its medicinal digitalis, used to treat heart disease, the foxglove is often known as ‘fairy bells’, suggested by the bell-shaped flowers. It is thought that the name is a corruption of ‘folk’s glove’, meaning gloves of the fairies or little people.

Iris

The iris is named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow who transported women’s souls to the underworld. The flower comes in yellow, lilac, blue and white. First used in heraldry in the 5th century, it is better known as the symbol of Louis VII of France, who took it as his emblem during the crusades. It became known as the fleur-de-lis, symbolising wisdom, faith and valour.

Narcissus

Well known in Greek myth, the youth Narcissus spurned the love of Echo who could only repeat the last words spoken to her. Forever doomed to be in love with his own image, Narcissus was unable to leave the pool which showed his reflection. When he died, he was turned into the flower. As well as vanity, it is sometimes a sign of divine love and in some ages its scent was believed to cause madness.

Periwinkle

In the middle ages, garlands of periwinkle were worn by people about to be executed. The evergreen plant was often regarded as a symbol of immortality. The herbalist Nicholas Culpeper said that Venus owned the periwinkle and that if the leaves were eaten by a man and woman together, there would be love between them. Thus he regarded it as a fertility aid.

Primrose

Usually heralding spring, the primrose often signifies youth and purity. These were sometimes used in love potions. According to Devon County Council, the primrose was chosen as their county emblem. There were once so many of the flowers that the paper mills of Devon used to send bunches of primroses to their customers, as a ‘breath of devon air’.

Solomon’s-seal

It is sometimes believed that its name refers to the plant’s medicinal properties, in sealing wounds and curing bruises by making a poultice of the roots. Part of the root is white and knotted in places, with the appearance of a flat, round circle like a seal. The distilled water of the plant was sometimes applied to the face by young women, to get rid of marks and freckles.

St John’s Wort

Given this name by Christians and used during the crusades to heal Crusaders’ wounds, the plant was regarded as a talisman against ghosts and evil spirits. It was believed it was lucky to gather it at sunrise and to keep it in the house, where it was often hung over a religious image during midsummer festivals.

Violet

Known as the scent of love and flower of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, the violet was the symbol of Athens. According to Greek mythology, a nymph was turned into a violet to escape the attention of Apollo. In olden times, it was usually strewn on the floor so its sweet fragrance would cover bad smells and ward off vermin.

There will no doubt be many more legends and folklore associated with wild flowers and plants, while many of them are natural sources of health and medicine. Some, like roses, are also used in cosmetics and perfume.