Red Cheer. Ruscus aculeatus , Butcher's Broom, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In the dreary, wintry Hortus, the berries of Butcher's Broom give a bit of Red Cheer. Already in Antiquity its branches were used as brooms to clear off butcher's blocks. Moreover, Abraham Munting (1626-1683) of Groningen writes: 'The tough branches of this shrub are used in Italy to make brooms. Some hang them against salted smoked meat; given their prickly leaves they ward off mice and rats and especially bats'. The plant as a whole - roots and berries - is reported to have medicinal properties that are useful for curing e.g. urinary problems.
Red Cheer. Ruscus aculeatus , Butcher's Broom, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
In the dreary, wintry Hortus, the berries of Butcher's Broom give a bit of Red Cheer. Already in Antiquity its branches were used as brooms to clear off butcher's blocks. Moreover, Abraham Munting (1626-1683) of Groningen writes: 'The tough branches of this shrub are used in Italy to make brooms. Some hang them against salted smoked meat; given their prickly leaves they ward off mice and rats and especially bats'. The plant as a whole - roots and berries - is reported to have medicinal properties that are useful for curing e.g. urinary problems.