So THAT’S what their BLOOMIN’ names mean!
Britain’s bursting into life again. Now discover the magical stories behind our favourite spring flowers . . .
DAFFODILS, tulips, magnolias . . . spring flowers are all getting into their prime. But do you know the origin of their names and folklore associated with them? For example, legend says that Lily-of-the-Valley sprang from Eve’s tears when she was exiled from the Garden of Eden . . . ANEMONE — From the Latin ‘anemone’ and the Greek ‘anemos’ (wind or daughter of the wind). Alternatively the windflower, because the petals flutter in the breeze and open only when the wind blows. Or Grandmother’s nightcap (from its shape), Moggie nightgown or pasque flower from pasqual, relating to Easter BUTTERCUP — Legend claims it got its name from the fact that cows which grazed on meadows full of the flowers produced milk rich in cream. This is totally wrong, because the plant is poisonous to cows.
Its scientific name, Ranunculus, originates from Latin, meaning ‘little frog’, as the plants often grow near water. The flowers get their bright colour from yellow pigments in the petals’ surface layer, and their shiny gloss is due to layers of air just beneath the surface reflecting the light like mirrors.
These reflective properties led to the childhood trick of placing a buttercup under someone’s chin. If there’s a yellow reflection on the skin, that person is said to love butter. COWSLIP — Ironic that such a delightful and fragrant flower should have got its name from its habitat of cow dung- enriched pastures. ‘Slip’ is related to ‘slop’ — meaning wet or slimy. Also known as ‘paigle’ after ‘paggle’ — meaning the dangling teats of a cow’s udder. DAFFODIL — There are numerous explanations for its name. Originally ‘affodil’, a word for the plant we now call asphodel. Colloquially known as jonquils — from the French ‘jonquille’, the colour yellow. William Wordsworth (of ‘ a host, of golden daffodils’ fame) pronounced it ‘junkwill’. In folklore, if you deliberately avoid stepping on them, fortune will favour you. If you give someone a gift of daffodils, they, too, will have good luck — but a single flower means penury and ill-fortune. ERICA (below)— From Latin and Greek meaning ‘heath’ — where these spring- flowering heathers grow. Summer-flowering heather that covers moors is Calluna (from the Greek meaning ‘to beautify, sweep clean’) or ling (from the old Norse word ‘lyng’). According to Richard Mabey’s Flora Britannica, heather ale was once a staple in the Scottish Highlands and drunk from cattle horns. FOXGLOVE — The scientific name is Digitalis — because the flowers ( right) can be put on a finger ( digitus is Latin for ‘ finger’) like a thimble. The puzzling part is ‘fox’ — unless it’s because they grow in woods where foxes live.
Or perhaps it’s derived from ‘folks’ gloves’. In parts of Scotland, it’s ‘ tod-tail’ (as ‘tod’ is a northern word for fox). Other names: ladies’ fingers, floppy dock, dead-men’s bells and fairy gloves.
Once widely used in folk medicine as, though highly poisonous, it can be turned into a drug that slows and strengthens the heart. GOOSEGRASS — Covered with tiny hooks that cling onto almost everything. Also known as Stickywilly, Velcro Plant and Cleavers. Botanically, Galium aparine means ‘milk seizer’ — from the Greek word meaning milk. Juice from a related plant was once used to curdle milk in cheese-making. Called Goosegrass because it’s loved by geese — or Hedgeheriff, Grip Grass, Scratweed, Mutt o n Chops, Claggy Meggies, Robin-run-intheLoveman, Tongue Bleed and Everlasting Friendship. HYACINTHOIDES — Literally ‘hyacinthlike’ — and the proper name for bluebells. Britain is home to half the world’s population. But under threat from garden- escaped, paler, Spanish bluebell ( Hyacinthoides hispanica) with big concerns that hybridisation will dilute the gene pool of our pure, native bluebell and it could be lost for ever. Hyacinth is from the Greek youth Hyacinthus, killed accidentally by Apollo while being taught to throw the discus. Out of his blood grew the flower. IMPATIENS — Known as Busy Lizzies in gardens but as balsams in the wild. The word derives from the Latin ‘impatiens’ (impatient) after the tendency of the ripe seed-pods of some species to burst violently when touched. Seeds of the Himalayan balsam (whose leaves smell like Jeyes Fluid) can catapult 40ft away. JASMINE — From the Persian ‘ yasameen’ (gift from God). Winter jasmine, which is flowering now, is Jasminum nudiflorum (which translates as ‘naked flower’) KNIPHOFIA (left) — Commonly known as red-hot pokers but these African-originated plants were named after 18th- century German professor Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, who had a large botanical collection. LILY- OF-THE-VALLEY — Legend suggests it sprang from Eve’s tears when she was exiled from the Garden of Eden. Its scientific name ‘majalis’ means ‘of or belonging to May.’ Also called May bells, Our Lady’s tears and Mary’s tears. MAGNOLIA — Named in honour of 17th- century French botanist Pierre Magnol. The tree was introduced to Europe from Japan in about 1709, while Magnol was alive, but the tree was not named until after his death. NARCISSUS — Daffodils and their relatives. Said to be linked to the Greek of the same name who starved to death because of his fixation with his own looks. The gods transformed him into a flower so he could remain for ever at the side of the stream where he admired his reflection. But this is not true. In Greek, ‘narcissus’ means ‘numbness’, so it’s just a reference to the plant’s narcotic nature.
ORCHID (above) — Name from the old Greek word for ‘testicle’ — because of the shape of many orchid roots. In Shetland, some call them Curly Doddies or Dog’s Dubbles. POPPY (top right) — From the botanical name Papaver Rhoeas — ‘papa’ meaning ‘thick milk’ and a reference to its white sap; Rhoeas is bastardised Greek for ‘ red’, referring to the colour. Also, bledewort, redweed and thunder flower. When in good soil, one corn poppy can produce 800,000 tiny seeds. QUERCUS — The botanical word for the tree sacred to many gods. These include Zeus and Jupiter who both ruled over thunder and lightning — with oak trees prone to lightning strikes as they’re often so tall. Quercin is a bitter alcohol obtained from the bark and acorns of oak. ROSE (below) — Known to Shakespeare as sweet briar and eglantine. Mentioned by Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream: ‘I know a bank . . . Quite over- canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet muskroses and with eglantine. There sleeps Titania sometime of the night.’ The name is from the Greek ‘ kunorodon’ and Latin Rosa canina, ‘dog rose’. The prickly species deter thieves, and have been given the mock Latin name burglaris disembowelis. SALIX — The old Latin name for the willow; from it comes salicylic acid, responsible for the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin. The name of the trees’ catkins comes from Dutch ‘ katteken’ (kitten). Willows are noted for their flexibility and graceful appearance, hence the adjective willowy. TULIP — From the Turkish pronunciation of the Persian word ‘dulband’ or turban, which the flowers resemble. URTICA — The common name, Nettle, might have an ancient meaning ‘to bind together’ as nettle fibre was used for weaving. From the Latin for ‘to burn’, so linked with the stinging hairs. The word ‘urticating’ means ‘stinging’. VERONICA — Genus of plant that includes speedwells. Our name means just what it says — a fast-growing plant. Also because they are found beside roads and speed your journey. Named for St Veronica, who offered her cloth to Jesus. Other names: Eye Of The Child Jesus, Farewell, Goodbye and Cat’s Eye (the pattern on the flower face). WALLFLOWER — An obvious name for Cheiranthus, plants that grow on walls; also Gillyflowers and Milkmaids.
XEROPHYTE — A name for plants that grow in dry places, from the Greek for ‘dry’ — such as stonecrop and other Sedums.
YARROW — Daisy-like, white or pale pink, with its name from Latin Achillea millefolium (‘thousand leaves’). Greek hero Achilles’ mother was said to have dipped his body in a tincture of the plant — except, fatally, his heel — in an attempt to make him invulnerable. Also Staunchweed as it’s said to help stop nosebleeds.
ZINNIA — Not spring flowers, but if you want this plant of the daisy family — named for botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn — to brighten your garden in summer, sow its seeds indoors now!