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umbrella plant
Mayapple
Mon, 01/07/2008 - 21:24 — DawnBlackBotanical Name:
Podophyllum peltatum
Zones:
3-9
Other Names:
may apple, may-apple, American mandrake, umbrella plant, Devil's apple, hog apple, Indian apple, wild lemon, may flower
Mayapple is an American native member of the plant family Berberidaceae common to woodland clearings in the Northern and Eastern United States and Southern Canada.
Propagation:
Mayapple spreads from underground rhizomes to quickly form a colony that shades out smaller plants. It makes an excellent groundcover for unused areas and grows well in dappled shade. It likes light, loamy soil, shade, but not deep shade and plenty of space to spread out. You can gather seeds or rhizomes to plant or you might find a transplant in a native plant nursery. (I got mine from the local plant conservancy- they gather wild plants from construction sites and then sell them to the public.)
It's good to keep them moist, not wet, and free of weeds until established. Once they are established, they will spread like crazy and crowd out weaker plants. Remember that it will take a few years before they starti producing fruits.
History and Folklore:
According to lore, Native Americans used this plant for its healing attributes but also to commit suicide.
The botanical name Podophyllum peltatum comes from the greek "podos" and "phyllon" meaning "foot-shaped leaves" and "Peltatum" meaning "shield".
Harvesting & Storage:
The root (which is extremely dangerous to handle or ingest) should be dried away from sunlight. The effective constituents are not water soluble and must be dissolved in alcohol.
The fruit may be made into jelly or sliced thin and dried or dried whole for use in spells.
Make sure to wear gloves while handling the foilage or roots of this plant and wash your hands thoroughly before touching your face or eyes.
Household Use:
The poisonous rhizome can be boiled and used to kill insects on crop plants, especially potatoesi. Make sure that the resulting potion is only sprinkled on the inedible (to humans) parts of the plants, such as tomato leaves and the aerial parts of potato plants.
Magical Attributes:
The powdered root is used in powerful protective magic. Mayapple is extremely irritating to the eyes and Mayapple root is used in spells to keep things (like diaries, books of shadows, etc.) hidden from prying eyes. The powder can be sprinkled around the storage area or on the object itself, or around the perimeter of an area where you do not wish to be disturbed. (Remember that Mayapple is a topical poison while doing this. Take care not to let the powder sit on your skin or come in contact with your eyes.)
The dried fruit can also be added to sachets and mojo bags to similar purpose, that is to allow the bearer to work in secret, or to allow his or her actions to not be revealed too soon.
The whole root can be tucked under the mattress to ensure the fertility and verility of the couple who sleep upon it.
Kept in a high place in the home, Mayapple root is said to draw prosperity to the home and protect it from bad luck.
This herb is commonly used as a substitution in spells calling for Mandrake (Atropa mandragora)
Healing Attributes:
Mayapple is listed as "unsafe" by the FDA and most experts agree that its action is too strong for self-medication even by experienced herbalists. Every part, excepting the ripe fruit, is deadly poison and can kill an adult human within 24 hours.
It was used by Native American tribes, who dried and powdered the root, as a laxitive and to remove worms and as a topical treatment for warts and skin cancer.
Modern medicine has found compounds in the rhizome that are useful against cancer and it is used in the treatment of genital warts and skin cancers in Asia. It is also under study for use against dropsy, dispepsia, biliousness, and various liver conditions.
Symptoms of mayapple poisoning are salviation, vomiting, diarrhea, excitement, fever, headache, coma, and death.
Culinary Use:
Only the ripe fruit or "apple" of the mayapple is edible. The fruit is ripe when it is yellow and slightly soft. Dispite its name, the flavor is more like lemon than apple. Mayapples may be eaten raw, but they are best cooked or made into jelly. They may also be juiced and mixed with sugar and water to make a beverage similar to lemonade(remove all seeds before juicing). These fruits should be eaten only in moderation and only when perfectly ripe. It has been known to cause technicolor diarrhea.
Here's an article from Mother Earth News about cooking with Mayapples. An excellent idea for your Beltane celebrations (assuming you've got some ripe, if not, hold off till Midsummer)
Practical Kitchen Witchery:
If you're using an old European spelli that calls for Mandrake, you can use this plant instead. But remember, both plants are very poisonous and substitutions of dangerous plants should never be made with other dangerous plants when you are making things that are to be administerd topically or ingested. I suggest using the fruit instead of the root as a much safer alternative. It is slower to action and not as intense, but it is still effective.