My Favorite Weird Plant Names

Shakespeare’s Macbeth opens with three witches stirring a cauldron, into which they throw all sorts of vile-sounding things such as eye of newt, toe of frog, and tongue of dog, just to name a few. Where, exactly, does one obtain eye of newt? Well, it as luck would have it, Shakespeare was pretty knowledgeable about the folk magic of his era, and included in his Scottish play a number of ingredients that he called by their folkloric names rather than their botanical ones. There are actually hundreds of plants and flowers called by folkloric names which often make them sound much stranger than they really are. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Eye of Newt: Eye of newt is actually a colloquial name for mustard seeds–yes, the seeds from mustard greens. There are no newts involved in the collection process at all. In traditional folk magic, mustard seeds have been associated with intuition and prophetic dreams–no wonder Shakespeare’s witches were tossing some in the pot!

Englishman’s Foot: Have you ever seen the common plantain growing in your garden? In folklore, it’s sometimes referred to as Englishman’s foot, although some North American native tribes called it white man’s foot. The plantain was even immortalized by the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Hiawatha, which reads, “Wheresoe’er they tread, beneath them springs a flower unknown among us, springs the White-man’s Foot in blossom.” From a magical perspective, it’s useful in workings dealing with both protection and cleansing–and this is directly related to its medicinal properties.

Fairy Fingers: Fairy fingers sound like a delightful addition to any magical working, unless of course, one is a fairy. Never fear, you can acquire fairy fingers without the harming of any magical beings–fairy finger is actually a folkloric name for foxglove in some parts of Europe. Foxglove, or digitalis, is very poisonous and should never be ingested–it can cause all kinds of cardiac problems, including death. If you burn foxglove, don’t inhale the smoke. You should also avoid letting it touch your skin if possible–the safest way to use it in magic is to stuff it into a poppet or container for workings associated with banishing.

Hawk’s Heart: Have you ever seen a reference to the use of hawk’s heart in a working? If you thought frog toes and fairy fingers were hard to get your hands on, imagine trying to get hold of a hawk’s heart! Good news, though–hawk’s heart is an alternative name for wormwood, typically associated with the crown or seeds. In some shamanic traditions, wormwood is used to call upon the spirits of the departed. You can use it in rituals involving divination or astral travel, to enhance your levels of intuition. Be cautious with ingestion, though–the wormwood plant, Artemisia absinthium, is the source of absinthe.

Lamb’s Tongue: Lamb’s tongue is another magical ingredient with an interesting folkloric name–the item we call lamb’s tongue has nothing to do with lambs at all, but is in fact another member of the plantain family, called ribwort. The ribwort plantain may have gotten its nickname because of its propensity for growing in pastures, and the fact that sheep seem to find it delicious. Like other types of plantains, it is often associated with protection. Because it seems to grow in places where nothing else wants to, and is nearly impossible to get rid of, you can also find ways to include in rituals relating to fertility, strength, stability, and the overcoming of challenges.

Pig Snouts: Every spring, your yard probably fills up with dandelions. Did you know that in some places, these happy yellow weeds are known as pig snouts? In his Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, author Scott Cunningham recommends the use of dandelion roots in a tea to aid in divination and prophetic dreaming, and many people recommend dandelion for workings related to psychic activities. In some magical belief systems, the dandelion is associated with growth and transformation.

Toe of Frog: And what about toe of frog? While one can visit any number of restaurants and order a large plate of frogs’ legs, it seems that the toes present a slightly more interesting challenge. It turns out that there’s a variety of buttercup known in folklore as “frog’s foot.” It’s entirely possible that Shakespeare was referring to the petals of this flower. Like many members of the buttercup family, this particular species is considered toxic, and can cause skin inflammations. The Victorians associated it with selfishness and ingratitude.

Tongue of Dog: Remember that tongue of dog that Shakespeare’s witches were going on about? There’s actually a plant known as hound’s tongue that is highly toxic–odds are good that this is what was really going into that cauldron! Part of the borage family, hound’s tongue was often planted around homes to keep rats and mice away–and no wonder, because it has a fairly unpleasant smell. Use hound’s tongue in spellwork that involves silencing a gossip or rumormonger, or to establish magical boundaries around something you wish to protect.

Wolf’s Milk: Have you ever tried to milk a wolf? It’s probably not easy, and yet the item known as wolf’s milk appears in herbals from hundreds of years ago. Wolf’s milk is actually a colloquial name for euphorbia, a plant often associated with protection and purification. Sometimes called madwoman’s milk or sun spurge, the secretions of the euphorbia plant can be fairly toxic, so exercise caution when handling it.

Want to dive deeper into the world of plant magic and folklore? Check out my book Herb Magic (available April 21, 2020), for a list of 40 of the most popular magical herbs!