The name “Madonna’s Milk” for Lamium maculatum probably arose from Christian folklore and medieval plant symbolism. The white markings on the leaves of spotted dead nettle probably suggested drops of…
Italian aster is known as “Our Lady’s Birthday Flower” because of its later summer bloom about the time of Mary’s birth. The Bible does not provide information on Mary’s infancy…
The name “Candlemas Caps” reflects both the timing of the wood anemone’s blooming and the of the shape of the flowers. The term “caps” probably refers to the shape of…
It is unlikely that Mary was familiar with candles as we know them because oil lamps were the usual source of artificial light in her time. By the late 4th…
Hearts have traditionally been associated with the love, compassion, and sorrow of the Virgin Mary. The unique shape of bleeding heart’s flower which resembles a heart with a droplet falling…
The connection between heather and the Virgin Mary is obscure and speculative. Most of the legends about heather come from areas where it grows abundantly, such as Scotland, Ireland, and…
At the time of Christ, women’s hair fashions were determined by both cultural practices and religious laws. Covering the hair with a scarf, veil or other fabric was considered a…
The link between Corydalis cava and the Virgin Mary rests on two features of the plant, its rootstock and its cluster of flowers. The rootstock consists of a hollow tuber…
The small, delicate, blue forget-me-not flowers link the plant to the Virgin Mary. The modest, yet beautiful appearance of the flowers reflects Mary’s humility and the blue color symbolizes her…
The appearance and folklore of sage have led to an association between this herb and the Virgin Mary. The soft, velvety texture of the leaves brings to mind the protective…
Karen Meyers