English Mandrake? Bryonia a Witchy Wednesday article.

-

Root and berries of Bryonia alba. Illustration from Eduard Winkler, Sämmtliche Giftgewäckse Deutschlands (Leipzig 1854)



Welcome to another Witchy Wednesday, this week I wanted to do a little article about a plant I found locally were I live called Bryonia also known as English Mandrake, Ladies Seal, devil's cherry, devil's turnip, grapewort, red bryony, tetterberry, white wild vine and wild hop to name a few! 




Bryonia photographed in my local area spotted on July 17th 2025. 


Bryonia cretica flowers- image from Wikipedia


White bryony (Bryonia dioica Jacq.): fruiting stem and separate flower and a description of the plant and its uses. Coloured line engraving by C.H.Hemerich, c.1759, after T.Sheldrake.


Bryonia alba L. (Cucurbitaceae) illustration from Johan Wilhelm Palmstruch, Svensk botanik, (Stockholm1803)




Cretan bryony (Bryonia cretica) has a thick fleshy white root, large lobed leaves, pale yellow flowers arranged in clusters in the leaf axils, and small red fruits. The plant was formerly used as a cathartic and as a diuretic and contains the poisonous alkaloid bryonin. White bryony (B. alba) differs from Cretan bryony in having male and female flowers on the same plant and black berries.
Information from https://www.britannica.com/



The English Mandrake! 


Bryonia Cretica is also known in folklore as "English Mandrake" or "False Mandrake", was historically used as a substitute for the Mediterranean plant Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum), particularly in northern and central-eastern Europe. This substitution was driven by the fact that Mandrake is scarce in those regions, making White Bryony a more readily available and cheaper option.
Bryonia cretica, also known as White Bryony or English Mandrake, is a perennial plant with a history of being confused with and even sold as Mandragora (Mandrake) due to its root's appearance and some shared folklore. However, it is a distinct species within the cucumber family, Bryonia dioica, and is known for its toxicity.




Some external links to some fab articles and information.


https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/solve-problems/what-is-bryony/

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/29485/bryonia-dioica/details

https://yeoldewitchcraftshoppe.co.uk/2024/09/19/white-bryony-history-folklore-and-magic/

 Thank you for visiting my blog, please pop by again soon and join me every Wednesday for Witchy Wednesday's articles. 

Kat 😊

Popular posts from this blog

Making a spirit doll part one

-
Image
A couple of examples of Spirit dolls made by me. The idea of my spirit doll is that is handcrafted using bits and bobs and that anyone of any age can make one.Though I recommend adult supervision for younger children as some sharpe object are used in the making of the doll. Firstly the really fun bit gathering your spirit doll making supplies. You will need twigs, wool or string, feathers, stones, fabric scraps, beads, sequins, really whatever takes your fancy. You can pick twigs from the ground in your garden, or whilst walking the dog. Please don't snap twigs from trees as it won't add good vibes to your doll plus it is not kind to the tree! You will also need some glue, pipe cleaners or wire scissors and an awl Now the idea behind my spirit doll is to take some time out from the rat race and to spend a couple of hours rekindling the joy of making something like you used to do with a mind of a child. No preplanned sketches, no sewing, no rules! They don't have to ...
Read more

Making a spirit doll part two.

-
Image
Welcome to part two on how to make a spirit doll. In the last post we made the basic body for your spirit doll using a stick/twig, pipe cleaner and wool. Now it is time to add some clothes and give your doll character. Remember spirit dolls are to be created with positivity and with whatever you have to hand. Thus this tutorial is a guide rather than a rigid tutorial. Taking a piece of fabric wrap loosely around the body of your doll. Tie in the middle, I used a spare pipe cleaner but you can use a ribbon, string or length of wool. This will be your dolls dress or robes. Remember your spirit doll can be male or female. You can also make it as an animal!  Now for a head.  You can use a bead, a ready made cabochon, a stone or you can create a head using air dry clay or fimo. You can of course have it head free!  I made a sun head from air dry clay which I glued onto place and then painted it with acrylic paints.  Different head ideas...
Read more

Wonderful resource of information!

-
Image
Images from Cambridge's Digital library.  I found on my travels around the magical realm of www the website of Cambridge's Digital Library. A houses a wonderful collection of research material including beautiful maps and interesting historical articles. Definitely worth a virtual visit! Please visit their link 🔗 below for more information.   https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/ 🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿Some website links listed may contain Adult material which may not be suitable for children so I would advise visiting them before showing or allowing access to younger viewers.🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿
Read more