Garden Superstitions: Plant Myths vs. Facts

Happy Friday the 13th!

From folks believing that plants had magical properties to plant ingredients able to turn lead into gold, to making love potions from flowers - plants and herbs have always captivated the imagination and have been steeped in superstition! The Victorians even used them to communicate!

Fairy rings, garden idioms, and old-wives tales are as deeply rooted in lore as they are in our day-to-day lives! There’s even a science that delves into plant lore and myth! Gardeners tend to create their own superstitions as we go!

Here are a few beliefs from days gone by that still have a foothold in the back of our minds or even our everyday practices - even if they are far from the truth!

Common Garden Superstitions
Plants and Herbs With Magical Powers?
Unlucky Plants
Other Gardening Myths
Successful Gardens Aren’t A Myth!

Common Garden Superstitions

It is amazing how much our garden décor was inspired by myths and superstitions! Scarecrow

Scarecrows were once thought to scare away more than crows! Giving them a hat to keep cool in the summer led to a successful harvest - but just don’t give them your best jacket.
Keeping a gazing ball in the garden was thought to ward off evil and attract good luck.
In the practice of Feng Shui, depending on where you hang your chimes (north, south, east or west) you’d encourage good opportunities for your children, bring fortune and prosperity, deflect dark magic, or attract bad omens.
The humble garden gnome was thought to protect your garden from dark magic and evil.
A green man’s face on a tree or wall attracts good spirits to watch over your home.

Nowadays, we know why people get sick, and sometimes our bad luck is our own doing, but folks in the old days didn’t have that kind of scientific knowledge to back up why tragedies happened.

So they came up with some very strange superstitions, customs, and beliefs!

Lavender

Plants and Herbs With Magical Powers?

One bad apple spoils the bunch, but it does hold some truth, and we can understand why Tomatoes (that are in the nightshade family) were given their bad rap. But knowledge is power, and our plant knowledge is growing exponentially every day!

Parsley was considered so tricky to grow from seed that gardeners would sow it in threes. Two for the devil and one for the gardener. Its association with the devil for the longest time kept it from becoming the culinary standard it is today! Those seeds that didn’t grow were thought to have been kept by hell itself. But nowadays we know Parsley seeds are slow to get growing.

Lavender or Rosemary by your garden gate protected your home from evil and invited good luck! Rosemary had loads of uses - from chasing away evil spirits or bad energy to preventing drunkenness to cleansing and purifying everything! But now we know their smell wards off garden pests and insects, and their fragrance gives us a sense of calm.

Keeping Fennel seeds inside keyholes or hanging Fennel by your door scared away witches and demons while offering protection from dark magics. It’s a tasty root vegetable, but we no longer go that far with its properties! Fennel contains beta-carotene and vitamin C, and both nutrients play an important role in maintaining our health.

Ivy was thought to protect you from curses. However, the only protection we’ve found these days is that an Ivy cloak acts as a thermal shield, combating the extremes of temperature, which often cause walls to crack and break down.

Planting Oregano brought joy, and planting Basil for protection from evil and bad luck. Healthy Sage plants mean you are blessed. In reality, we now know they sure do bring joy to the senses and all our favorite recipes. And a successful Sage means you planted it in the right location.

Sunflowers were planted for happiness and good luck, and we certainly won’t argue with the happiness aspect.

Sunflowers

Some seem silly, like planting Chives to prevent lightning strikes. It’s amazing that folks thought these things and that some persist yet today! (Even I may or may not keep a four-leaf clover in my wallet for good luck.)

Unlucky Plants

Here at Nature Hills, we don’t believe in a 'bad plant', just a bad location or improper care for that plant. But in the old days, many plants were big no-nos in the garden!

A droopy Daffodil was a harbinger of death - Not true, but do deadhead right away
Banana trees were once thought to have vampires living in them - Nope!
Don’t bring Dandelions indoors - they make you wet the bed! Luckily, not true!
Fairies will seek revenge if you pick Foxglove and bring it indoors. Florists everywhere disagree!

Many plants fell out of fashion due to their bad rap, like Ajuga reptans, also known as Bugle and Baby’s Rattle in German superstitions, which were blamed for house fires should the hapless homeowner allow the flowers to be brought indoors. In reality, Ajuga are fantastic groundcover plant and is super beneficial to bees! No fire extinguishers needed.

And it was long considered unlucky to bring spring-flowering Fruit Tree blooms into the home, but today we force these scented blooms for winter arrangements. We can understand that if you pick too many blooms, you’ll not have as much of a harvest. So back in the old days, you depended on as much fruit as possible to feed yourself and your family! Nowadays, pick as much as you like!

White flowers were largely considered unlucky and harbingers of death, which is strange that we use them so widely in weddings and view them as purity now! It goes to show how superstitions shift so quickly throughout the years!

Feng Shui teaches that where an object is placed is as important as what it is; listing Agave and Cactus should both be kept out of the house, and the blooms of the Hydrangea bring loneliness. Pothos sucked the good out of the environment and Thorns of Christ plants are best placed outdoors to ward off bad vibes. Creeper plants of any kind do not allow positive energies to enter your home.

Now our houses are full of them since they’re wonderfully easy to grow houseplants and have more good health benefits than bad! It’s really how you care for them that will either suck the life out of them or have them thrive!

Other Gardening Myths

Four Leaf Clover

Knocking your knuckles on a piece of wood to bring good fortune or ward off bad luck. Celtic cultures believed it woke the spirits inside for help. While in Christianity, 'touching wood' or 'knocking on wood' referred to the wood of the cross.

Threatening to cut down a tree for 3 years to encourage it to fruit better
Cursing your plants to make them grow better
Picking four-leaf clovers for good luck
Talking to plants makes them grow better (still up for debate!)
Thank your plants as you harvest them, or get bad harvests next year
You should share gossip with your bees
Peppers are hotter when you plant them while mad at someone, and occasionally shaking Peppers made them grow better
Pick Blackberries before September or the devil pees on any fruit that remains (Ew!)
Daisies kept Fairies out of your garden
Carrying an Acorn prevented illness and ensured a long life
Hazel, Alder, and Elder trees were both thought to harbor immense magical properties
A branch of Maple leaves would stop bats from flying into your home
Hawthorn Trees were highly regarded as sacred
Symbolizing plenty, Apple trees were said to bring bad luck if you chopped one down

Stolen plants were thought to grow better than gifted ones (but we’d not recommend it). In the olden days, it was thought that if you received a plant as a gift, you shouldn’t thank the giver for it because that was bad luck! You were supposed to water them for the pot or complement the color instead or the plant may die.

Even certain colors were revered or shunned in the garden and home! In the southeastern US, the color Haint Blue protected the home from evil spirits or 'haints'. Painting objects like the ceiling of your porch or shutters this color kept them at bay. Instead, try planting a Jack Frost Brunnera or other blue perennial by your home to ward off bad vibes!

Hanging Holly leaves around the house kept evil spirits away and was a charm against house goblins. They were also traditionally thought to protect homes from lightning strikes, the wood was used to control horses, and hedgerows protected the home from witches! Just remember to ask permission from the Holly tree before snipping those bright red berries or a branch of their leaves.

We love Holly shrubs and trees, and they look great in winter décor, but all that seems to be quite a stretch of the imagination.

Successful Gardens Aren’t A Myth!

Whether you believe in bad spirits or just bad luck, the key to any great garden is knowing what you are doing, buying quality mature plants, plus having expert advice. There’s a wealth of information at your County Extension Office and, as always, the horticultural staff at Nature Hills Nursery are here to help!

Good Garden Practices

A successful and happy garden isn’t rocket science any more than superstition or luck. Follow these few rules for a successful landscape:

Choose the right plants for your growing zone
Know the right sun requirements, soil type, moisture levels, and the best conditions for your plant by checking the Plant Highlights
Read up on your plant's fertilizing, care, and pruning needs before purchase
Proper sanitation of garden tools
Have a plan! Never overcrowd planting beds or choose plants that may get too big
Plant at the right depth and at the right time of year
Set plants up for success for life with Nature Hills Root Booster at the time of planting
Use the Finger-Test method to always know your plant is well-hydrated
Provide a 3-4 inch layer of Arborist mulch
Order quality guaranteed plants at Nature Hills and leave the shipping and timing to the experts!
Get help any time and have all your plant questions answered by our knowledgeable customer service associates and in our #ProPlantTips guide and Garden Blog!

Many feel like they have bad luck, and folks back in the golden days must have had a lot of it to blame it all on innocent plants. Really, we believe you won’t have time for bad luck or be in a bad mood any time you are out in the garden! Those with too much drama in their life clearly aren’t gardening enough!

Don’t leave your plant's health up to chance, or blame fairies and evil spirits for failures! The power to have a successful garden is in your hands, and Nature Hills will help make sure the garden of your dreams isn’t a thing of folklore!

Happy Planting!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do common plant superstitions have any real impact on how well your garden grows?

Plant superstitions make for fascinating history, but your garden's success comes down to science, not folklore. Practices like sowing parsley seeds in threes, for example, actually reflect a real challenge: parsley germination is notoriously slow and uneven, often taking 3 to 4 weeks, and starting multiple seeds increases your odds of a good stand. Focus on what actually works: plant in the right USDA hardiness zone, water consistently, amend your soil with compost, and time your plantings according to your last frost date. Visit naturehills.com to find plants matched to your region and get growing advice grounded in real horticultural expertise.

Can slugs in your garden actually signal anything useful about your soil or growing conditions?

Slugs thrive in consistently moist, high-organic-matter soil, so a surge in slug activity often signals that your garden beds are retaining too much water or have excessive surface mulch creating ideal hiding conditions. They are most active in cool, humid weather between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which typically means spring and fall in most growing zones. Rather than viewing them purely as a pest problem, use their presence as a cue to check your drainage, reduce mulch depth to 2 to 3 inches, and water in the morning so soil surfaces dry out by evening, which makes your garden far less hospitable to them.

Should you avoid cutting down certain trees like the cabbage tree, and is there a horticultural reason behind that belief?

Many old superstitions warned against cutting down certain trees like the cabbage tree (Cordyline australis), which was considered bad luck in some folk traditions. The horticultural reality is that cabbage trees and similar plants with a single growing point at the crown can be permanently damaged or killed if improperly pruned, which may have given rise to cautionary beliefs. Hardy in zones 8 through 11, cabbage trees should only have dead or damaged fronds removed, never the central growing tip. If you need to manage the size or shape of your cabbage tree, consult a certified arborist rather than making drastic cuts that could harm the plant.

Why are some plants considered unlucky, and does garden science support any of those claims?

Many plants earned their unlucky reputations from a combination of genuine danger and misunderstood biology. Tomatoes, for example, belong to the nightshade family, so early suspicion of them was not entirely unfounded since the leaves and stems do contain toxic alkaloids. Parsley's reputation as a devil's plant stemmed from its notoriously slow and uneven germination, which frustrated gardeners for centuries before modern seed science explained why. To give parsley the best chance, sow seeds in soil at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, keep them consistently moist, and be patient since germination can take three to four weeks.

Can artificial plants replace real ones for improving your home environment or garden space?

Artificial plants cannot replicate the real benefits that living plants provide, including air purification, oxygen production, humidity regulation, and the genuine psychological benefits that come from nurturing growing things. Real plants also support pollinators, beneficial insects, and local ecosystems in ways that synthetic versions simply cannot. If space or light is a concern, opt for low-maintenance varieties suited to your conditions, such as shade-tolerant hostas for dim corners or drought-resistant sedums for dry spots, rather than settling for plastic alternatives. Visit naturehills.com to find plants matched to your USDA hardiness zone and growing conditions so you can enjoy all the authentic rewards a living garden delivers.

Is there any truth to the superstition that talking to your plants helps them grow better?

Talking to your plants does have some scientific backing, as studies suggest the carbon dioxide exhaled during speech, combined with the vibrations from your voice, can slightly stimulate plant growth. Research from the Royal Horticultural Society found that plants spoken to regularly showed measurably better growth than those left in silence. Whether it is the CO2, the sound waves, or simply the extra attention you pay to a plant you are actively engaging with, the habit encourages you to monitor your plants more closely and catch problems early. So go ahead and chat with your garden, but pair those conversations with proper watering, fertilizing on schedule, and placing plants in their ideal light conditions for truly noticeable results.

Does thanking someone for a gifted plant or following gift-giving plant rules actually affect how the plant performs?

No, expressing gratitude for a gifted plant or following folk traditions around plant gifting has no effect whatsoever on how that plant grows. Plant success comes down to practical factors like proper planting depth, appropriate sunlight, well-draining soil, and matching the plant to your USDA hardiness zone. Focus instead on giving your new plant a strong start by watering it thoroughly at planting, applying 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the base, and learning the specific care requirements for that variety.

Should you plant potatoes on Good Friday, and is there a practical growing reason behind that tradition?

The old tradition of planting potatoes on Good Friday has more practical roots than spiritual ones, since Good Friday falls in early-to-mid spring when soil temperatures in most regions are beginning to reach the ideal 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit that potatoes need to sprout reliably. In many parts of the country, particularly in USDA Zones 5 through 7, this timing aligns naturally with the last frost window and gives tubers enough cool growing time before summer heat sets in. Rather than waiting for a specific holiday, use a soil thermometer to confirm your ground has warmed sufficiently, then plant your seed potatoes 3 to 4 inches deep and about 12 inches apart for the best results.

Does planting peppers while angry really make them grow hotter, or is capsaicin heat determined by other factors?

The idea that an angry gardener produces hotter peppers is a fun old wives' tale, but capsaicin levels are actually determined by genetics, heat, water stress, and soil conditions rather than your mood. Pepper varieties like Habaneros or Ghost Peppers are genetically coded to produce far more capsaicin than a mild Banana Pepper regardless of who plants them. That said, you can legitimately increase heat in your peppers by reducing watering slightly as fruits mature and growing them in full sun in warm climates like USDA zones 9 through 11. For the hottest results, choose a high-Scoville variety, give them at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, and hold back on irrigation during the final few weeks before harvest.

How can you tell which old gardening superstitions are worth following and which ones you can safely ignore?

Most old gardening superstitions can be safely set aside in favor of proven horticultural science, though a handful contain a kernel of practical truth worth keeping. For example, the old belief that parsley seed must be sown in multiples has real roots in the fact that parsley is genuinely slow and finicky to germinate, often taking 3 to 4 weeks, so sowing generously and keeping soil consistently moist at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit is smart practice regardless of folklore. A good rule of thumb is to ask whether the superstition has an observable, repeatable outcome in the garden. If it does, research the science behind it and apply that knowledge directly rather than relying on the myth itself.

Superstitions Rooted In Plants And The Truth On Growing A Successful Garden!