From Tears. Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose, Muiderstraat, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
It is said that a poor, young woman went to Bethlehem at Christmas to honor the Child. But unlike the Three Magi she had no gifts. She wept. And from her tears sprouted our Rose, a bouquet of which she then presented at the Cradle. Sweet story.
Helleborus is also sometimes called Sneezewort because a pinch of it dried causes one to sneeze. Sneezing was once thought to ward off evil and sickening spirits; curiously, witches and such also used the plant as an ingredient for their potions.
It's one of the few flowering plants in the dead of winter. Most enjoyable on this chilly and still low-sunny day.
From Tears. Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose, Muiderstraat, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
It is said that a poor, young woman went to Bethlehem at Christmas to honor the Child. But unlike the Three Magi she had no gifts. She wept. And from her tears sprouted our Rose, a bouquet of which she then presented at the Cradle. Sweet story.
Helleborus is also sometimes called Sneezewort because a pinch of it dried causes one to sneeze. Sneezing was once thought to ward off evil and sickening spirits; curiously, witches and such also used the plant as an ingredient for their potions.
It's one of the few flowering plants in the dead of winter. Most enjoyable on this chilly and still low-sunny day.