A Wildflower -
Jewel of the enchanting world of the wild and the kingdom of beauty -
There is romance, poetry, humor, history and even a mystery or two in their names.
Today in our hurry-up world we seldom think, even take for granted, what these precious gems of nature have meant to us in the past and what they could mean to us now.
From dyes, to rubber, to perfumes, wildflowers have been a source of products and have had the power to prevent or cure sickness.
Perhaps, the word "wildflower" brings to mind something simple. Simple, yes, and, multi-faceted like the gem it is.
In this Appalachian Mountain Country part of the world it was the Native Indians and early settlers who gave the wildflowers their names, who used and enjoyed them, and were more intimately connected with them in their work and surroundings.
To know a wildflower intimately is not to merely see it; rather, it is to touch, to taste, to smell, to feel and to hear it.
There is the red clover which represents the
loveliest sight and liveliest sound of the many species of clover. Its rosy flower head
when plucked and sucked has the taste of sweet nectar and is the reason for another common
name "honeysuckers". It is no wonder bumble bees and butterflies hum among them.
Quaker girls were forbidden to use face make-up. They soon discovered that by rubbing the leaf of the common mullein lightly over their cheeks, they caused a slight irritation that brought a rosy color to their skin.
Just starting to bloom in large clumps along roadsides and fields, the day lilies touch our world with bright orange and yellows. The yellow lemon lily, as it is sometimes called, has a lemon scent. The roots, buds, and flowers, fresh or dried, make tasty foods and are commonly used in their native homelands of China, Japan and Siberia.
Once upon a time, a beautiful girl walked with her sweetheart along the banks of a river. She was taken by some bright blue flowers on a little island and wished for them. Her sweetheart swam to the island and picked the blossoms only to be wept away by a strong current. As he swept past her to his demise, he threw the flowers at her feet, calling out, "For-get-me-not"!
Today, perhaps, we are simply given to experiencing joy, delight, and pleasure as we stop to admire the wonder of this beauty of life and light - the Wildflower.
Copyright © 1988, 1999 Barbara A. Smith and John G. Hipps. All rights reserved.
This essay was first published July 6, 1988 in the
Free-Press Courier,
Westfield, Pennsylvania.