Vervain
Verbena officinalis
- Thin flower spikes
- Threshold charms
- Roman altars
Roman writers describe vervain being used to sweep the altars of Jupiter, and Pliny records elaborate instructions for its gathering that involve the phase of the moon, a circle drawn with iron, and an offering of honeycomb left in the hole. The instructions are so specific that they read as an attempt to preserve something already half-forgotten.
Druidic association is a later and largely literary invention, but a durable one. By the early modern period vervain was standard in English charm literature, tucked into thresholds and sewn into hems.
The plant itself is modest, with thin spikes of pale flowers that most people walk past. Its reputation vastly exceeds its appearance, which is true of a surprising number of charm herbs.