At Easter, I really feel like spring is in full bloom. The harbingers of spring, snowdrops and jonquils have all died back, giving way to myriad other flowers. Many people do not realize the delightful stories and history of our familiar garden flowers.
The traditions of some plants go back to classical mythology. Such is the case with the hyacinth and the iris. The hyacinth is said to have been associated with Achilles and Ajax, Greek heroes of the Trojan War. The legend goes that Achilles fell in love with a Trojan princess, much to the displeasure of the god Apollo.
The Greek hero was only vulnerable to a wound on his heel and had been unbeatable in battle. As a god, Apollo knew that weakness and told the Trojan prince Paris, who then shot Achilles in his heel with a poison arrow, killing him.
The Greek warrior Ajax rescued Achilles’ body, but Achilles’ famous armor was given to Ulysses instead. Out of bitterness and humiliation, Ajax killed himself. Out of pity for Ajax, Apollo caused a purple flower to grow from the ground that was stained with Ajax’s blood. That flower, the bell-shaped grape hyacinth, is very common in the Levant stretching from Greece to the Holy Land.
The iris is said to have its origins on Mt. Olympus, home to the gods of ancient Greece. The goddess Juno had a maid-in-waiting with whom she was greatly pleased. She was the beautiful Iris who dressed in brilliant hues and had a rainbow for a scarf. Iris could stretch her scarf, arching it from Mt. Olympus to earth, and thus became a messenger for the other gods. Iris was able to use her rainbow scarf to descend to the underworld and deliver a message for Juno. As a reward Juno caused flowers, each being a color from Iris’ rainbow, to grow around the world. Juno named the flower Iris in honor of the messenger. British legends of iris say the pixies of Devonshire would hide under iris blooms, for the large flower would hide them from the view of mortals. The petals of iris, according to another Devonshire account, were fashioned by fairies into their clothing.
Gardens across the South will soon be filled with beautiful multicolored zinnias. They are a favorite plant for cutting gardens and butterfly gardens alike. Few people realize its history, a fascinating story that traces American history. In its native form in Mexico and the arid Southwest, it was a weedy plant with a small single flower usually with yellow, orange, or pale lilac petals or rays.
In prehistoric times there were associations of the zinnia with the Navajo, Apache, Aztec and other Indians of the Southwest. Its flower was used to make a yellow dye and was an ingredient in red body paint. A decoction of the flower was sometimes used in the treatment of stomach and throat ailments.
The first Europeans to observe the zinnias were the Spanish in Mexico in the 1520s. They did not consider it an attractive flower and called it “mal de ojos” or “sickness of the eye.” During the early 1700s interest in zinnias increased in Europe, and in 1759 it was renamed “zinnia” to honor German professor of botany and medicine Johann Zinn. Interest in zinnias continued to increase across Europe and by the 1850s, both single and double zinnias of many colors were popular in France.
In the 1860s colorful zinnias spread across America. Because the center of the zinnia appeared to be a new flower blooming within an older one, it became popular in Victorian America to refer to zinnias as “Youth and Old Age.” The zinnia as we know it today is the result of four centuries of cultivation and breeding. They are a well-bred flower.
The passion flower or may pop is not only a very beautiful native wildflower but has a most interesting history. The plant was long used by Native Americans both as a pain reliever or mild sedative. The leaves and roots were used to make a tea or were dried and smoked. The flower itself has a nutty almost peanut flavor.
However, they should not be eaten or consumed unless under the supervision of a botanist or health care provider to properly identify the plant and its different elements, as there are several common side effects including upset stomach, nausea, and mental confusion. A less common but much more serious side effect is cardiac arrhythmia.
As today is Easter Sunday, the traditions behind the passion flower’s name are of special significance. The story was found in the Aug. 19, 1835, United States Gazette from Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
“The Passion Flour — The following interpretation of this justly celebrated and much admired flower — will not, I trust, be found uninteresting, especially, to the fair devotees of Flora.
The leaves resemble the spear that pierced our savior’s side; the tendrils — the cords that bound his hands, or the whips that scourged him; the ten petals — the apostles; Judas having betrayed, and Peter deserted; the pillars in the center — the cross or tree; the stamina — the hammer, the styles the nails; the inner circle around the central pillar — the crown of thorns; the radiance — the glory; the white in the flower — the emblem of purity; and the blue — the type of heaven. One species, the Passiflora alata, even drops of blood are seen upon the cross or tree. This flower continues three days open and then disappears, thus denoting the resurrection.”
“The grain is God’s bounty; but the flowers are his smiles.” — Sir Isaac Newton
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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