The dark myths and folklore behind your favourite Christmas plants
Holly was believed to have obstructed witches
It’s that time of year when we add festive plants to our homes.
As well as the obvious tree many add holly, ivy, white-berried mistletoe and vibrant red poinsettias to add festive cheer to the home, both inside and out.
And yet there is much myth and folklore regarding these Christmas plants, some dating back to pagan times, others used to ward off witches and goblins or protect people from the elements.
Here are just a few of the legends surrounding our most popular Christmas plants.
Holly
This spiny shrub with scarlet red berries is commonly associated with the Christian symbolism of Jesus’ crown of thorns, but there are a lot of other folklore tales of why people brought holly into their homes.
With deeply pagan roots, the Druids, Celts and Romans brought evergreens into their homes during winter, believing the plant’s evergreen nature held special powers and assured the return of spring.
Others brought in the plant to protect them from malevolent ‘faeries’. The type of holly chosen – thorny or smooth – designated whether the husband or wife was going to rule the roost the following year.
The folklore doesn’t end with Christmas, as people believed that holly had protective properties, and that it was bad luck to cut down a whole tree if it formed part of a hedge because it obstructed witches when they ran along the tops of hedges.
Holly was also associated in European mythology with the thunder gods such as Thor and was often planted near houses to offer protection from lightning. Yet, it is true that the spines on holly leaves can act as miniature lightning conductors, protecting nearby objects.
According to folklore, it also warded off evil and was a symbol of hope. Harry Potter’s wand is made of holly to help him on his mystical quest.
Ivy
It may be a nuisance to gardeners as it wraps itself around trees and fences, yet it was once believed that if ivy grew on the walls of a house, the people inside were protected from evil.
It symbolises fidelity, so won’t easily let go of something it’s clinging to, and eternal life (being an evergreen plant).
In ancient Greece, it was clutched in bridal bouquets to represent endless love and fidelity. Cut ivy was never brought into the house until Christmas Eve and was always taken out by Twelfth Night. Even today, some people have the superstition that ivy should never be brought indoors except at Christmas.
Predating Christianity, evergreen types of holly and ivy were considered particularly powerful during the dark, leafless days of winter. Sprigs were said to ward off evil spirits and inside the home kept the house goblins at bay, according to plant conservation charity Plantlife.
Of the two, ivy – shapely and curvaceous – was said to represent the feminine as compared to the spiky, angular masculinity of holly. Yet, it was often associated with witchcraft and frequently features in spells for love and fertility.
Ivy is an invaluable addition to wildlife as it provides shelter for birds and insects, and its black berries feed hungry birds in the depths of winter.
But is it a myth that it will kill the trees that it clings to? According to the RHS, it isn’t directly harmful, as its aerial roots don’t penetrate tree bark, they just cling on to it.
If your tree is strong and mature, it should be OK, but you may have to remove ivy from trunks of ornamental trees with decorative bark, on young or newly planted trees which can suffer from competition for light, water and nutrients, and on trees with sparse canopies which can easily become smothered and weakened, says the charity.
Mistletoe
The choice of this plant as a romantic interlude is a surprising one, considering that some species of mistletoe are parasitic, growing on host plants and glueing themselves to the host’s surface, penetrating its cells to absorb nutrients.
Nobody’s sure why mistletoe, the Viscum album, first attracted kissing, but it’s likely to be a fertility ritual due to its evergreen nature which it keeps by stealing water and minerals from the host tree, according to the Natural History Museum.
It has, however, historically been associated with love and friendship and by the 18th century, the kissing tradition appears to have caught on among servants in England before spreading to the middle classes.
Poinsettia
Originally from Mexico, this is the most popular of our houseplants at Christmas, bearing red, pink and even variegated bracts to bring our homes much festive cheer.
The ancient Aztecs called them ‘cuetlaxochitl’ and used the colourful leaves to make a purple dye for clothes and cosmetics, and the white sap as a medicine to treat fevers.
The Christmas connection has long been associated with the mythical story of Pepita, a little girl in the 17th century who visited the Nativity scene at the local Mexican village chapel but didn’t have a gift for the Baby Jesus, and all she could find was a handful of weeds on Christmas Eve. Yet, because she gave them from her heart, the weeds miraculously burst into red blooms.
Nearly 200 years later, the US ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was also a skilled botanist, introduced the plant with the brilliant red leaves to the US. In the mid-1800s the plant was named the poinsettia after him – and the rest is festive history.