Author Description

<p>This book is a dictionary of British (native, naturalised and cultivated) plants and the folklore associated with them. Unlike many plant-lore publications <i>Vickery's Folk Flora</i> tells us what people currently do and believe, rather than what Victorians did and believed. The result is a vivid demonstration that plant folklore in the British Isles is not only surviving but flourishing; adapting and evolving as time goes by, even in urban areas.<br> <br> Each entry includes:<br> - The plant's English and scientific (Latin) name, as well as significant local names.<br> - A brief description of the plant and its distribution, and, in the case of cultivated plants, a history of their introduction to the British Isles<br> - Information on the folklore and traditional uses of the plant, arranged where possible in a sequence starting with general folk beliefs (superstitions), use in traditional customs, use in folk medicine, other uses, and legends concerning individual representatives of the plant.<br> <br> In addition to the major entries there are a number of minor entries for feast days, diseases and other subjects which direct readers to relevant major entries, e.g. <b>St. George's Day</b>, on which red <b>roses</b> are worn; <b>dandelions</b> are gathered; and <b>runner beans</b> are planted.</p>