Backyard befuddlement & Wandering Woods- Irrwurz
Hello and welcome back to another week of Rooted! This week We’re continuing on with our monster mash series with a bit of an unconventional monster- the woods themselves…..or really we’re taking a closer look at the fictional plant that was believed to be responsible for making people get lost and lose their minds- Irrwurz.
Said to be native to eastern europe, this plant liked the shady, wet understory of thick pine forests. With glossy green leaves and long inflorescence this plant easily blends in with the other short ground covering plants. But, this is one plant you don’t want to mess with, as once you cross it’s path, you’ll inevitably lose your way- and eventually- your mind.
After brushing past it,folks tend to get confused, stumbling about in woods that are typically familiar to them. And the longer they stay out there, the worse it gets.
While this was more than likely meant to be an allegory about paying attention while you walk in the woods, it led to all kinds of wild claims- including a bavarian man in the 1600’s claiming to own the very last of the species. And what’s really wild is that everyone just kind of…went with it? And so when he eventually passed, so did the plant. And now all that’s left of it is a few snippets in story books, and entire terrifying trope of people getting lost in the woods.
I know this one was on the shorter side, but I’ll be back next week to cover another monster-related plant I think we’ve all been looking forward to- Pumpkins! Be sure to tune into that one if you like the episodes heavy on botany AND folktales. See you then!
