Seona Anderson 28/01/2024 Seona Anderson 28/01/2024

MANDRAKE

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, MANDRAKE: could curses kill, as doth the mandrake’s groan. The Mandrake or Mandragora was a powerful medicine and poison of the ancient and early modern world and attracted many fabulous legends.

Seona Anderson 27/01/2024 Seona Anderson 27/01/2024

Samphire

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, SAMPHIRE: halfway down hangs one that gathers samphire - dreadful trade. ‘Death by Samphire collection’ was an occupational hazard in Tudor England in the harvesting of this tasty & healthy food.

Seona Anderson 24/01/2024 Seona Anderson 24/01/2024

WORMWOOD

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, WORMWOOD: To weed this wormwood from your fruitful brain and therewithal to win me. Wormwood is a herb, medicine, poison and signal of the end of days. Read more about this remarkable plant.

Seona Anderson 06/01/2024 Seona Anderson 06/01/2024

CARAWAY

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, CARAWAY: we will eat a last year’s pippin of my own graffing with a dish of caraways. Caraways seeds add a delicate taste to recipes and as a snack to cure wind.

Seona Anderson 05/01/2024 Seona Anderson 05/01/2024

PEPPER

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, PEPPER: He cannot ‘scape me… He cannot creep into a half-penny purse, nor into a pepper-box. Pepper is used as a food and metaphor and is part of our long association with this fundamental spice.

Seona Anderson 04/01/2024 Seona Anderson 04/01/2024

CLOVE

Shakespeare Species Quote of the day, CLOVES: A lemon. Stuck with cloves. The aromatic and valuable Clove makes only one appearance in the whole of Shakespeare. Read more about this spices and all its uses in food and medicine.

Seona Anderson 03/01/2024 Seona Anderson 03/01/2024

GINGER

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, GINGER: Yes, by Saint Anne, and ginger shall be hot i’ th’ mouth, too. Read more about the versatile rhizome and its history in England.

Seona Anderson 02/01/2024 Seona Anderson 02/01/2024

NUTMEG & MACE

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, Nutmeg: I will not change my horse with any…he’s of the colour of the nutmeg. Read more about the Nutmeg tree and control of this valuable spice.

Seona Anderson 01/01/2024 Seona Anderson 01/01/2024

SUGAR

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, SUGAR: if sack and sugar be a fault, God help the wicked. Sugar was an important luxury and a useful metaphor.

Seona Anderson 23/12/2023 Seona Anderson 23/12/2023

CABBAGE

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, CABBAGE: good worts? Good cabbage! Read more about the marvellous Cabbage and its many forms.

Seona Anderson 22/12/2023 Seona Anderson 22/12/2023

CARROT

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, CARROT: remember focative is caret. And that is a good root. Read more about the windie and aphrodisiac Carrot.

Seona Anderson 21/12/2023 Seona Anderson 21/12/2023

POTATO

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, POTATO: how the devil Luxury, with his fat rump and potato finger, tickles these together. Read more about the luxurious Potato of Shakespeare’s world.

Seona Anderson 12/12/2023 Seona Anderson 12/12/2023

ERYNGOES (Sea Holly)

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, ERYNGO: hail kissing-comfits, and snow eryngoes; let there come a tempest of provocation. Read more to find out about the aphrodisiac plant of the sea shore.

Seona Anderson 04/12/2023 Seona Anderson 04/12/2023

IVY

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, IVY: the female ivy enrings the barky fingers of the elm. O, how I love thee! How I dote on thee!

#shakespearespecies #folio400

Seona Anderson 02/12/2023 Seona Anderson 02/12/2023

Mistletoe

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, MISTLETOE: the trees, though summer, yet forlorn and lean, overcome with moss and baleful mistletoe.

#shakespearespecies #folio400 #nationaltreeweek

Seona Anderson 30/11/2023 Seona Anderson 30/11/2023

Thistle

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, THISTLE: nothing teems but hateful docks, rough thistles, kecksies, burrs, losing both beauty and utility.

#shakespearespecies #folio400 #standrewsday

Seona Anderson 02/11/2023 Seona Anderson 02/11/2023

Grass

Grasses are one of the widespread and important plant families in the world. Suffolk says he will brave a wintry mountain top where not even grass can grow.