Plant Lore: Seasonal Botanicals for the Ritual Year

A beautifully illustrated guide to the seasonal folklore and traditions that surround plants and flowers.

Beyond their physical importance, plants carry deep cultural, spiritual, and symbolic significance, and for millennia they have played central roles in religious and sacred practices around the world. From the white-berried mistletoe revered by the Druids and the evergreen wands left at Shinto shrines, to sacred herbs and the grapevine—a symbol of the eternal cycle of life and death for the ancient Greeks and Romans—this book explores the many ways in which plants have been woven into our global mythology, belief, folklore, and religion.

The book situates plant lore within the rhythm of the seasons, emphasising how plant cycles—flowering, fruiting, and decay—have long guided human observation of time, particularly in agricultural societies. Seasonal folklore and ritual practices, aimed at fertility, protection, and gratitude toward land spirits, reflect the enduring relationship between communities and the natural world.

Organized around winter, spring, summer, and autumn, the book traces botanical folklore connected to solstices, equinoxes, and seasonal festivals across a huge range of different cultures. Through evergreens of midwinter, flowering rites of spring, enchanted midsummer herbs, and autumnal charms, the book reveals how plants continue to offer pathways for celebration, memory, and reconnection with the cycles of nature.