c.GERMAN

Myrtus communis. Evergreen shrub from the Mediterranean with fragrant white flowers and leaves, unique in popourri and sachets. Spicy leaves can be used in cooking like bay leaf. Great house plant and classic standard. Tender perennial. White flowers are followed by black berries. The berries and leaves can be crushed and used as a spice for pork during the last 10 minutes. In their native Meditteranian they put entire branches inside the pigs during their roasting! Besides the culinary value, here in the U.S. we most associate it with weddings. Myrtle in a wedding bouquet is a general European custom. Crowns of myrtle are used in the Ukrainian wedding ceremony. A sprig of myrtle from Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet was planted and sprigs from it have continually been included in royal wedding bouquets STILL TODAY!! Now how's that for HARDY! In Jewish liturgy, the myrtle is one of 4 sacred plants!(Four Species)for Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles representing the different types of personalities making up the community(we call them "plant nuts" in the perennial/herb world).3 branches are braided together. And we gotta include this last tid-bit: In Jewish mysticism(not circumcision), the myrtle represents the phallic, masculine force at work in the UNIVERSE(that's the world!). For this reason myrtle branches were given to the bridegroom as he entered the nuptial chamber after a wedding?!