Joe Pye Weed was a flower name that always made me wonder, why this name? I found a story in the New York Times (1993) that explained. Joe Pye was a Native American who had a botanical cure for typhoid fever. The disease was running rampant in Massachusetts back in the 1700s. There’s no scientific proof that the plant did cure anyone, but folks living in that area at the time saw it as a miracle, so they named the plant after the native herbalist.
Dogwood: In merry old England, they believed that the berries from this plant, crushed and put in water, were a good toxin to bath a dog in to remove ticks and fleas. There’s no scientific proof of this, but it explains the name. The Latin name is Cornus which is derived from the Latin cornu meaning “horn.” The Latins believed the wood was as strong and durable as a bull’s horns. The wood was valued for making spears and javelins.
Sweet Williams: It appears that the name started in France as “oeillet.” By the time the name got to Britain, the “oe” turned into a “W” and became “willet.” When the flower blooms in late June, there used to be a religious holiday for Saint William. Since the flower had no assigned medicinal purpose, it was considered a luxury, a “sweetie,” so it became Sweet William.
Marigold: In short the name refers to the Christian Virgin Mary: Mary’s Gold. This was because the flower grew well most of the year in Europe and provided blossoms for the church every Sunday. The true marigolds of Europe are actually Calendula, a different species of flower. The marigolds that we plant here in the U.S. were named Tagetes by the famous botanist Linnaeus who named them after Tages, the son of the Roman God, Jupiter. Frequently you will find Marigolds referred to as “African” or “French” but the flower is originally from South America. The Spanish explorers brought them back to Spain. Charles V, King of Spain in the 1500s, thought they were from Africa so he referred to them as African Marigolds. The French laid claim to them once they crossed the border, but these bright orange gems are from the Americas. They are said to be good at keeping squirrels out of your garden.
Thanks to the book 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names by Diana Wells. Published in 1997 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
And I always thought that marigolds were used to keep rabbits out. Squirrels eat seeds and nuts, and even bark if there is no other food available. I have seen them on below zero days, venture way out into a frozen corn field to find a few kernels of feed corn, unfit for human consumption except as corn moonshine. That's why squirrels taste so good.
Rabbits eat greenery like clover and the tops of almost every kind of vegetable in the garden. Their only competitor is deer. And they love green carrot tops, not the root that we eat. Unfortunately, Bugs Bunny has most kids brought up in the city without a garden thinking that rabbits eat the roots. But since rabbits eat salad, they don't taste as good… ;-)
Ron