There's a vacant lot near my house where three years ago I discovered a beautiful and fragrant plant. It looks like this:
Since I'm always trying to figure out what it is and whether the herb is beneficial, I did a lot of research and learned a lot of interesting things:
- other names - dog mint, ground ivy (as the English call it), magpie-sickness, herb for 40 ailments;
- This is a groundcover plant that can grow in absolutely any climate zone and under the most unfavorable conditions (it’s a real stalwart!);
- belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which surprised me a lot;
- is a direct relative of mint, lavender, lemon balm, oregano, sage and rosemary - there is nothing strange about this, since the smell really resembles mint and it seems to me like thyme;
- blooms for a long time – 2-3 months, or even more;
- does not like high humidity.
And finally, an interesting myth: they say that on the night between April 30th and May 1st, when Walpurgis Night begins, you should cut a budra (a type of witches' wreath) and weave it yourself. Then, wear it on your head and go to church in the morning. The most interesting thing is that the elders say you can see all the witches because they stand with their backs to the altar. Whether you believe this or not is up to you, but if you're interested, you can check it out.