These
pretty little flowers that we see popping up in the Spring, and again in the
Fall are an heirloom plant from the Elizabethan times. Back then they were referred to as
heart’s-ease or wild pansy however. This
species of plant made its way to America in the 1600s, where it was named the
Johnny-jump-up, as its seeds scatter widely and new plants spring up in places
you would not expect.
This plant also has a long
history of use as a medicinal herb. It has been recommended for conditions such
as, epilepsy, asthma, skin diseases and eczema. In folk medicine, it is said to help
respiratory problems such as bronchitis, asthma, and cold symptoms. The flowers have also been used to
make yellow, green and blue-green dyes.
This
flower was associated with
thought in the "language
of flowers", as it
was known as a pansy for an amount of time, and pansy comes from the French
word “pensee,” which means “thought.” For
my fellow Shakespeare fans, Ophelia's often quoted line in Shakespeare's Hamlet, "There's pansies,
that's for thoughts,” was not referring to a modern garden pansy, but the
three-coloured Johnny-jump-ups we find all around. Last fun fact about this flower is that it
can be pressed for floral art or can be candied for use as a cake
decoration!
Take care everyone,
Catie Welch
Take care everyone,
Catie Welch
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