Legends and Lore of Texas Wildflowers

Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series

by Elizabeth Silverthorne

Every spring paintbrush decorates Texas' highways with its colorful leaves, which look as if they have been dipped in paint. Native Americans reportedly made a weak tea from this flower to treat rheumatism, to use in food as a secret love charm, and to use as a poison for their enemies. This roadside delight, sprinkled in with the bluebonnet, creates spectacular scenery for Texas travelers.In Legends and Lore of Texas Wildflowers, Elizabeth Silverthorne offers a delightful selection of these botanical treasures explaining the significance and origin of the name, identifying where the flower and its family members are located, and colorfully describing each one's legends and uses. Complemented by eighteen delicate drawings, legends and facts about forty-four of Texas' most interesting flowers, such as the water lily, Queen Anne's Lace, poinsettia, dogwood, and morning glory, are delightfully detailed. Violets have been used to cure cancer. Sunflowers were planted by nineteenth-century pioneers to protect families from malaria. Indian Blankets were used to increase fertility. Buttercups were used, in ancient time, to treat leprosy, plague, and insanity and, more recently, to remove warts or raise blisters.Silverthorne's text offers folklore enthusiasts, gardeners, and Texas history buffs an enchanting reading experience and an invitation to discover the legends growing in their own backyard.

Genres: Nonfiction

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1996

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Although the writing style can be a tad choppy at times, it has great information about the history of the flowers. It tells you how the flower got to Texas, its common purposes, and best of all explains the history of each flower in literature. If you want some interesting lore about flowers in Texas, this is a very readable place to start.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fun and informative. The stories are memorable and I will think of them whenever I come across these plants in the wild.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute treasure! I’ll reference it for years to come for health and garden tips.

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish there were photos or botanical drawings with each chapter, the excerpts and factoids were interesting.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

A l good grandmotherly book that gives a series of high level introductions to texas wildflowers. I liked the mythology and herbalism more than Victorian flower code but you win some lose some

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful tidbits of Texas lore and history makes this little wildflowers book worth a read. Ms. Silverthorne did a remarkable job on its research. I learned so much and loved every minute!

[Jordan Alyssa H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought it to help me figure out what flowers I want for a tattoo sleeve, stayed for the folklore.