How To Plant A Witch's Garden
By Laurie Casey
The Morton Arboretum
Trees and witches have a long association. According to tradition, a witch’s broom was made with an ash handle (to protect the witch from drowning), birch twigs for the brush (evil spirits used to be “banished” to birches), and thin strips of willow bark to bind the broom together.
On this scariest day of the year, it might be fun to consider some ideas for a witch-themed garden.
The focal point of any witch’s garden should be a hawthorn tree. According to British legend, witches could turn themselves into these thorny and twisted-limbed trees, so it was considered unlucky to bring hawthorn blossoms indoors. Hawthorns were often used as hedges. In fact, the old word for witch—“hag”—has the same root as “hedge.”
Try thornless cockspur hawthorn, a 20-30 foot tall native tree that likes full sun and well-drained soil. Its leaves turn orange or rust-colored in fall, and this tree is among more than 180,000 trees and other plants in The Morton Arboretum collections–many of which are still in fall color. The cockspur hawthorn displays beautiful fruit in winter. A good alternative is Winter King hawthorn, which thrives in full sun and tolerates urban soils.
Another indispensible plant for a witch’s garden is an elder tree, according to British folklore. Not only did witches grow them, they were believed to live in them. Naturally, superstitions evolved. Never burn elder wood in a fireplace or use it to make a baby’s cradle. Before cutting down an elder tree, apologize to the witch inside it—or risk injury from a falling branch or errant ax swing.
An American relative is common elderberry, a native 6-12-foot shrub with large, flat clusters of white flowers from late June to August, followed by dark purple-black berries. Elderberry deals well with sun and shade. It does best in moist soils, but tolerates dry conditions. It sends out suckers and likes to form thickets, so give it some space to grow.
Ideas for witch-themed plantings are inspired by folklore, and a few plants have creepy names thrown in for fun, says Arboretum Assistant Manager of Horticulture, Abigail Rea. “Give your visitors clues such as a cauldron planter or a decorative broom,” suggests Rea. The plants are suitable for our climate and do well in partial shade.
Start with Bennett eastern hemlock, a 5-foot tall evergreen shrub with dark green needles that likes shade or partial shade. Add common bleeding heart, which blooms early spring, and bloodred geranium for summer bloom and good fall color. Monkshood, a 2-3-foot tall perennial, sports violet-blue hooded flowers on tall stems in late summer or early autumn. Finish with spotted dead-nettle, a low, pink-flowered ground cover with green and silver-gray leaves.
And as you dig into this bed, consider the witch’s bed. When she said, “I slept like a log last night,” she was using witch code for “I went out with my witchy friends last night.” Legend says a witch would leave a tree log adorned with her nightcap in her bed, so that her unsuspecting husband would be none the wiser.
Glad You Asked
Q. My hawthorn tree attracts a lot of birds. What other trees do so?
A. Common hackberry (48 bird species), wild black cherry (84 bird species) and pagoda dogwood (93 bird species) are also bird-friendly. For more information, find the “Trees and Shrubs that Attract Birds” leaflet at www.mortonarb.org, choose “plant trees,” “selection and care,” and “selection guide.”
Q. This summer all the leaves on my hawthorn turned bright yellow and dropped. What happened?
A. Sounds like a severe case of cedar-hawthorn rust. Apply protective fungicides to help minimize infection, but do so as leaves emerge in the spring. Contact the Plant Clinic for more information (630) 719-2424.
At the Arboretum
Enjoy fabulous, “coloricious” views of trees from 40 countries – some perhaps you’ve never seen before, among the Arboretum tree collections. The Arboretum is open daily, 7 a.m. – sunset. Admission $9/adult, $8/senior, $6/child ages 3-17, under 3 is free. Parking is free.
Laurie Casey is a staff writer at The Morton Arboretum.