Winter Solstice Plants

Winter solstice plants is written and posted out at the darkest time of the year. We have the shortest days for spending time in the garden. Whether we’re sweeping up the last of the leaves and adding them to the hessian leaf compost bags, or cutting some stems from a winter flowering honeysuckle to take indoors the light is a precious commodity.

And so it was for our ancestors who were predominantly farmers, gardeners, foragers. They didn’t have our scientific knowledge as to why the sun’s strength and day length changed over the year. The sun sinking lower in the sky as the year headed towards the winter snows combined with the prospect of food running out before spring was a real fear.

As well as the practical measures of carefully storing food, what did they do? They looked around for clues that the world was still living. Story telling and folklore reminded them what had worked last year, and the year before that, and in their grandparents’ time. They looked to the plants that stayed green and growing and imbued them with magical powers.

So, let us look at these winter solstice plants. Some I have written about separately and you’ll find links to those articles at the end. There are a couple of blogs on the winter solstice as well, for the science-y bits and the effect it has on the plants in your garden. But firstly and importantly, those plants. In alphabetical order, just in case there’s magic involved and they complain that I didn’t put them first

Winter Solstice Plants

The inclusion of some of these may surprise you, but we’re considering plants of the northern hemisphere, not just plants native to the British Isles. There are overlaps between many of the tales, suggesting that people were more mobile than we thought. Certainly bards, minstrels, storytellers, musicians, players, jugglers, entertainers travelled. As did travelling merchants, peddlers and packman and the less mercantile pilgrims. Not to mention the landed classes moving from castle to castle including to their properties in other countries. From the Roman Empire to the Tudors England was awash with travellers and movement.

Birch Tree

The Birch tree, Betula pendula, symbolises new beginnings. When a forested area burns, Birch is one of the first trees to grow back, hence its association with rebirth and regeneration.

Fir

Fir trees are what most of us think of as a Christmas tree. It became linked to this time of year later than the other plants in the list as it has direct association with Christianity and Saint Boniface. Like most evergreens it is linked with endurance, but also hope, as it guided Saint Boniface safely home. Firs are part of the Pinaceae family as are Pine trees.

Holly

Holly, Ilex europaea, has long symbolised protection and good luck. It could guard your home from malevolent spirits as well as wandering cattle and thieves. No wonder holly hedges are still popular. Decking our halls with holly makes us feel festive with its bright red berries and shiny dark green leaves.
More on the Holly and winter Solstice plants in a tale below.

Ivy

Although you may consider Ivy, Hedera helix, to be a nuisance (see the blog below) it has long been associated with fidelity and loyalty. Using it in our winter solstice decorations strengthens the powerful bonds of family and friendship.
Often partnered with Holly (think of the eponymous Christmas carol) the two plants together symbolised marriage and faithfulness. Ivy being the female and Holly the male.

Mistletoe

Not surprisingly, Mistletoe stands for peace and friendship. However, there is more to these white berries than a quick kiss. Possibly just as well as kissing isn’t exactly encouraged for 2020’s festivities! Check out the link below for the warlike and Friday 13th myths surrounding this plant. The Druids believed Mistletoe grew where lightening had struck the Oak tree, which they revered. However, Mistletoe is also frequently found growing on Birch trees, another of our winter solstice plants, and apple trees.

Oak

Ah. the English Oak tree, Quercus robur. Home to so many small creatures and insects it is a wildlife habitat all by itself. With the Birch, it is a deciduous tree with solstice symbolism. Seen as symbols of eternal life they were considered a source of protection, strength, and endurance.
More on the Oak and winter solstice plants in a tale below.

Pine

Pine trees represent healing and long life. Strictly speaking a pine is any conifer in the genus Pinus, part of the Pinaceae family of trees. The fresh scent of the natural pine resin is stimulating and has restorative properties.

Rosemary

Renamed botanically as Salvia rosmarinus from Rosmarinus officinalis in 2017. This “dew of the sea” “herb of the sun” has been a traditional solstice and Christmas herb since the late Middle Ages if not earlier. Symbolising remembrance, loyalty and fertility, Rosemary is a far more useful festive plant than the now popular poinsettia. I mean, you wouldn’t add a sprig of that to your Christmas dinner as seasoning, would you?

Yew

Taxus baccata, the European Yew, symbolises death and the last day of the solar year. But that’s not all. As far back as the Celts and the ancient Egyptians the yew represented both death and resurrection. This may be due to the known toxicity of berries and leaves if eaten – and also to the ease with which drooping branches of old yew trees take root where they touch the ground.

The Tale of a Battle Between Two Winter Solstice Plants

Two of our trees have a further solstice role to play. The symbolic battle between the Oak and the Holly who are brothers and kings takes place at both the Winter and Summer Solstices.

This is the stuff of legend, of that perpetual cycle of life death and re-birth of nature that gardeners see each year in their own gardens.

The Holly King represents darkness and decay, but also inner knowledge. Whilst the Oak King, on the other hand, represents light and growth. So each and every year at the two solstices the brothers fight for dominance and the right to rule alongside the Mother Goddess.

At the Summer Solstice the Holly King wins and rules the waning year, from Midsummer to Yule. But cometh the Winter Solstice and the turning of the year, the Oak King wins the battle and the Crown. He rules the waxing year from Yule to Midsummer.

What I find interesting with this version of the legend is that the dominant brother is at the start of his growth when he wins the battle. And it is when he is in his prime that he loses. Of course, these brother trees are two parts of the same thing, the waxing and waning of the yearly cycles of the seasons.

The Yule Log

No, I hadn’t forgotten this member of our Winter Solstice Plants. Nowadays most people will thing of a chocolate confection, but traditionally the Yule log was an essential part of the celebrations. Lit with a slither of the previous year’s log it was kept burning for at least a day and a night. The idea was that the light would encourage the sun to return and bring warmth and growth.
A variation of this is where it was kept burning throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas, having been lit on Christmas Eve. This log was large, more of a trunk and would ideally be an oak or holly.

And finally

“Down with the rosemary and so,
Down with the baies and mistletoe,
Down with the holly, ivie all
Wherewith ye deck the Christmas hall.”

Robert Herrick, early 17th century poet

Do have a read through the articles below that take your fancy. And if you would like a Christmas themed planting design, get in touch.

And when you’ve had a coffee or tea and a mince pie and a good read, why not try out a old custom?
In Celtic tradition, one sacred place to be visited during the solstice time is an open area or hill that affords a view of the horizon in all directions. What better way to celebrate than to wrap up and go out for a socially distanced walk with friends or family and embrace the wide open spaces?

You could take a photo whilst you’re there, share it on Instagram and tag me – I’d love to see!

There are more winter gardening tips and ideas in our eBook “In Your Winter Garden ” And for those of you who like Christmas – why not download our eBook “Christmas and Yule in Your Garden“?

Or if you’re looking for a Christmas gift with a difference, why not ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons, where your classroom is actually your own garden? We can help with both gardening basics and more ‘expert tasks’, carry out worm and other experiments and for example, also show you how to plan a wildlife friendly ornamental border.

For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.