The dwarf myrtle tree belongs to the myrtle family. In the wild, the plant reaches a height of three meters; the domesticated variety grows no higher than half a meter. However, it is she who has such strong positive energy that people thousands of years ago noticed the magical properties of the myrtle tree and associated a number of signs with it.
What does the flower symbolize?
The first mentions of myrtle date back to the biblical chronicles. Adam and Eve, expelled from paradise, took a branch of this plant with them to Earth and planted it there. Therefore, the myrtle tree in many countries is considered a symbol of love, beauty and eternal youth.
In different parts of the world, the myrtle flower has received various signs and superstitions.
- In European countries, myrtle symbolizes a strong, happy marriage. It is believed that if a young couple grows this plant at home, then quarrels and scandals will not threaten the family hearth.
- In Asian countries, love, financial well-being and prosperity are associated with myrtle. People who grow myrtle trees attract good luck and wealth. In China, the houseplant is considered a symbol of fertility, and in Japan, the tree is recognized as a symbol of the Emperor.
- In the Middle East, Muslims do not recommend that young men and girls grow indoor flowers. According to local legends, the plant brings bad luck and loneliness to unmarried men and unmarried women.
- The Buddhist religion associates the myrtle tree with symbols of the purity and purity of a young maiden. Therefore, brides' wedding dresses in India are made using myrtle branches and flowers.
Blooming myrtle tree
Interesting! In England, palace bouquets are decorated with flowering myrtle branches. Among the Slavic peoples, a bride's bouquet of snow-white flowers of this plant traditionally brings family happiness and a strong marriage.
Where is the best place to put it?
When choosing a place to place a myrtle tree, you need to think about the comfort of the plant. Signs cannot help with this.
In the summer, the flower needs fresh air, so it will be great on the balcony or in the garden. Summer should be warm. Under no circumstances should you place the tree under the scorching sun.
In winter, the most important thing is to ensure sufficient lighting of the flower in apartment conditions. The plant cannot be taken out onto a cold balcony.
Ideally, the myrtle tree is suitable for such an intimate and quiet place as a bedroom , since large crowds of people are unfavorable for it.
The plant is associated with family well-being, women's happiness, the birth of children, love, and wealth. But, despite the large number of positive signs, you cannot ignore the rules for caring for the myrtle tree, otherwise folk signs simply will not work.
Magical properties of the plant
Over the long history of observing the plant, humanity has discovered a number of magical properties of the home tree.
- To have a prophetic dream, it is enough to place one sprig of myrtle under the pillow.
- A bracelet or necklace woven from myrtle branches will help you find peace and patience.
- For financial well-being, a twig or leaf picked from a plant is placed in a wallet.
- To maintain health and preserve youth, various decorations are made from myrtle branches.
- Wood neutralizes negative energy in the house and creates a comfortable and calm environment in the house.
- Identical myrtle amulets for spouses will protect the family from infidelity and divorce.
Bracelets made of twigs for a married couple
Important! To ensure that the baby sleeps peacefully at night, a bag of dried myrtle leaves is placed under the baby’s pillow. The pleasant, unobtrusive scent soothes and has a relaxing effect.
Symbolic meaning of myrtle
At different times, myrtle was given a special meaning. Most often, this plant symbolized silence, peace, pleasure, love, glory and good deeds (which is why in ancient times the myrtle wreath was indispensable at weddings). In antiquity, myrtle was considered one of the attributes of Venus.
In Ancient Greece, myrtle was a symbol of power and high position in society. Heroes and victors were greeted with myrtle branches in their hands after military campaigns. During the Renaissance, the evergreen bush symbolized eternal love and marital fidelity. According to the Bible, the messenger of salvation during the global flood was a dove with a sprig of myrtle.
In the 19th century, Queen Victoria introduced the tradition of using myrtle wreaths and bouquets of the bush's lush white flowers at royal weddings. This tradition is still honored in the British royal house, where every bride always has a sprig of myrtle in her bouquet, cut from the royal garden.
Is it possible to keep myrtle at home?
In the Middle East, the myrtle tree is considered a symbol of loneliness, therefore it is not recommended for home cultivation for young people.
But in other countries, a home flower is endowed with an extremely positive effect on the home and family well-being.
Positive signs of having a myrtle tree in your home:
- A tree installed in a marital bedroom helps a married couple find understanding and harmony in their relationship.
- A pot with a plant at the entrance to a house or apartment will protect the home from the evil eye and damage, and purify the air in the room.
- In European countries, there is a superstition that the myrtle tree will help a lonely person find a soul mate and create a strong family.
- People who grow indoor flowers attract wealth, financial independence, prosperity and well-being into their home.
A reliable protector of family and home from adversity and troubles
- If a young couple wants the speedy birth of their first child, they need to plant a myrtle seed and take care of it.
- A myrtle tree will help a shy girl gain self-confidence, and a young guy will find true friends or a soul mate.
- The myrtle tree is a protective talisman for a happy and strong marriage, helping to avoid disagreements and strife.
- Children born in a house where myrtle grows develop faster than their peers, becoming smarter and more savvy.
Important! The myrtle tree is sensitive to negative energy and large crowds of people. The plant recognizes only a single owner and his immediate environment. That is why myrtle trees do not take root in public institutions.
Unfavorable signs:
The house tree is considered a rather demanding plant to care for. And if you do not follow the rules of agricultural technology, the myrtle quickly withers and dries up.
- During this period, the plant takes away positive energy, luck and prosperity from the owner. Therefore, the myrtle tree should not be allowed to be beyond comfort.
- Also, only a beautiful pot is selected for growing a tree. In an ordinary container, myrtle quickly fades and dries out.
- The appearance of pests on a plant warns of possible problems with the home.
- Yellow leaves signal a deterioration in family relationships.
Dried, yellowed leaves warn of possible exacerbations in family relationships.
- If a plant withers and dries out for no apparent reason, you can expect trouble in the near future.
- Too rapid flowering of myrtle warns the owner of unnecessary costs and expenses.
Do not forget about the increased secretion of essential oils from the plant. For people suffering from allergies and respiratory diseases, indoor flowers can cause significant harm to health.
Where is the best place to put it?
The myrtle tree grows and develops best in remote, rarely visited corners of the home. The plant requires good lighting and fresh air. In the warm season, a pot with a flower is taken out to a personal plot, balcony or loggia. In winter, the tree is provided with additional lighting.
Important! Based on signs and superstitions, planting myrtle and further caring for it should be carried out by a woman.
The ordinary world - care at home
Category: useful plants starting with the letter “r”
Myrtle communis (common) is a small tree with a short branched trunk. It has red-brown bark, leathery, glossy, oval-lanceolate green leaves and white or pale pink flowers. Stamens protrude from the middle of the flower. The leaves of the plant have a pleasant aroma. It blooms throughout the summer, after which red-black berries form on the tree.
It is recommended to grow the myrtle houseplant on windows on the western and eastern sides. On southern window sills in the summer it will need to be shaded, for which you can use a tulle curtain. When grown on northern windowsills, flowering will be sparse.
Air temperature. Indoor myrtle does not like heat and grows well at air temperatures within +18...+20 degrees. It is recommended to ventilate the room regularly. In winter, the plant needs to be provided with cool conditions with an air temperature of +5 to +10 degrees. At higher temperatures in winter, the flower may shed its leaves.
Air humidity. Myrtle needs high air humidity, so in spring and summer its leaves must be regularly sprayed with settled water at room temperature. In winter, when indoor temperatures are low, spraying will not be necessary. But, if it is not possible to provide the plant with cool conditions, spraying should be carried out several times a day. Operating heating radiators at home causes the air to become dry, causing leaves to fall from the tree. To avoid this, you need to increase the air humidity around the plant. To do this, you can use special humidifiers or place a flower pot on a tray with damp expanded clay or moss.
Watering myrtle. Water the tree abundantly in spring and summer, as soon as the top layer of soil dries out. In winter, in a cool room, the frequency and abundance of watering decreases. Under no circumstances should the earthen clod be allowed to dry out! Otherwise, the leaves of the indoor plant may fly off and the branches may dry out. If the soil is still dry, place the pot in a container of water for a few minutes. Also, do not allow the soil to be wet all the time. Constant waterlogging of the soil can lead to rotting of the roots. Water for irrigation is used to stand for 24 hours.
Feeding myrtle. From March to August, once a week or two, the flower must be fed with fertilizers for flowering plants. If myrtle is grown as a bonsai and its flowering does not interest you, then fertilizers are used that are intended for decorative deciduous plants.
Rest period. Myrtle definitely needs a period of rest, during which it gains strength to flower and grow foliage. Therefore, in winter the plant is grown in cool rooms for three months. You can place the flower on a closed loggia, where the air temperature does not drop below +5 degrees. At this time, watering should be sparse, and fertilizing and spraying should be stopped. In a warm room, the dormant period of myrtle lasts about one and a half months.
Pruning myrtle. To give the tree the desired shape, pruning should be included in your myrtle care at home. It can be done in early spring and after flowering. To get a tree, the side shoots are pruned. A bush-shaped plant will be obtained by trimming the upper branches. If you don't trim the myrtle at all, it will take on a pyramidal shape. However, it should be remembered that frequent pinching has a negative effect on the formation of flowers, so it is not recommended to get too carried away with pruning
If flowering is not too important for you, then you can experiment and pinch out the branches. The myrtle houseplant grows quickly, so its appearance can be changed every year.
Healing properties of the myrtle tree
In addition to its magical purpose, the myrtle tree has healing and healing properties. In the Middle Ages, alchemists and scientists used myrtle to make cosmetics and perfumes. And in the last century, scientists discovered and proved the antibacterial properties of the plant’s essential oil.
A houseplant has a beneficial effect on the health of others. Household members get sick less often, and the immune system is strengthened.
- Infusions are made from the leaves of the plant. A useful infusion is used to treat pulmonary, bronchial, viral and colds.
Infusions and decoctions of myrtle leaves
- An extract from plants is used to make drugs used for diseases of the nervous system, for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract and kidney diseases.
- Preparations containing extracts from the plant are used in oncology, used for depression and insomnia.
- Cosmetics based on the essential oil of the plant rejuvenate the skin and give it elasticity.
- Aromatic essential oil is also used in perfumery.
- On the basis of myrtle, medicinal ointments and creams are made, which are successfully used to treat skin and eye diseases.
- Tea made from myrtle leaves is used for diseases of the oral cavity.
- Decoctions and infusions from the plant are used to treat wounds and other damage to the skin.
Myrtle is also used in culinary arts. Seasoning is added to marinades for meat, vegetable and fish dishes. In Mediterranean countries, aromatic liqueurs are made from the berries and leaves of the plant.
Myrtle berries
Pruning and crown formation
If you do not trim the myrtle tree in time, its crown will take the shape of a pyramid. The plant must be pruned in the spring, immediately after the flowering period. Experienced gardeners do not recommend combining pruning with replanting. To keep the bush low, you need to trim the upper shoots, and if you want to form a bonsai tree, trim the lower shoots.
Common myrtle tolerates pruning well, but after the procedure, care must be competent and regular. It takes a couple of years to obtain the desired crown shape, since myrtle grows rather slowly.
Who can I give a flower to?
A myrtle flower can be the best wedding gift for newlyweds. According to legend, the plant promotes the prosperity of love and fidelity, strengthens marriage and helps avoid quarrels and disagreements.
For a young, unmarried girl, an indoor tree will also be an excellent gift. Thanks to the flower, a modest, shy girl will gain a stable character and find her other half.
Great gift for a young girl
Also, a home plant as a gift is suitable for families where mutual understanding has been lost. Myrtle will help reconcile spouses and take their relationship to a new level.
Flower care
Summer watering should be plentiful, but in winter myrtle is not watered often. In spring and summer, myrtle is watered with water with fertilizers diluted in it, and the plant is protected from pests using special preparations.
If caring for the myrtle was not entirely correct, watering was incorrect, and in winter there was a high temperature in the room, then the tree may lose its leaves. Such a plant does not need to be thrown out, and having eliminated the cause, you need to wait until new leaves appear, but you will have to form the myrtle crown again.
By growing a wonderful myrtle in your apartment, you can not only enjoy its magnificent appearance and the aroma of its flowers. You can even make healing tinctures from it that prolong beauty and youth.
Magic rituals with myrtle bush
To enhance the magical properties of a plant, there are several interesting rituals that help attract positive events and energy into the life of the owner of an indoor flower. If a girl grew a flower on her own and gave each guest a sprig of plants during the wedding ceremony, the marriage for the newlyweds will be joyful, long and happy.
Myrtle as a gift from a mother-in-law or mother-in-law will bring mutual understanding and harmony to a young family. A gifted plant will prevent any quarrel or conflict in a young, fragile family.
Important! The myrtle tree symbolizes fidelity and eternal love between spouses. In houses where a magic tree grows, joy, happiness and prosperity always reign
Fortune telling for the betrothed
In order for a girl to meet her future husband, the essential oil of the plant is used. To do this, add a few drops of oil to the water when taking a bath. According to signs and superstitions, the aroma of myrtle will definitely help in finding the chosen one.
Myrtle essential oil
Love spell
To strengthen a love connection, beautiful bracelets are woven from tree branches. The jewelry is made for the girl and her other half. As long as lovers wear jewelry, their feelings will intensify and will definitely lead to marriage.
Ritual to attract money and good luck
There are several ways to use an indoor flower to bring wealth and good luck into your life.
- To forget about financial problems and poverty, gold jewelry is placed next to the tree at night.
- A myrtle leaf or branch in a wallet will help the owner of the flower forget about lack of money and financial problems.
- Plant flowers are used to attract finance. The collected flowers are placed in a fabric bag and always carried with you. The ritual attracts material well-being and protects a person from making wrong decisions and various scams.
Myrtle tree flowers
Myrtle bushes are considered an excellent amulet for the home and life of people who care for them.
Myths and legends about myrtle
Sacred myrtle groves grew around the temples of Aphrodite (Venus to the Romans), the goddess of love and beauty. Wreaths from its branches were worn by girls and boys during rituals in honor of holidays dedicated to the goddess of fertility Demeter and the god of vegetation, winemaking and viticulture Dionysius. Statues of heroes were decorated with wreaths and branches.
Among the Jews, myrtle was an important attribute in religious ceremonies. The plant itself is often mentioned in the history of this people. The angel who appeared in the vision of the prophet Zechariah stood in a depression between the myrtle bushes. By the image of an angel we mean the Lord himself. On the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) the ritual of “raising the lulav” is performed. Lulav consists of four plants, myrtle is one of them.
In many countries, it is a symbol of purity, purity, beauty, youth, marital fidelity and love. In Germany and the Baltic countries it was planted at the birth of a girl. When she got married, a wreath was made from it for the bride. For Catholics, myrtle is the personification of the spirit of the Virgin Mary.
How to avoid the consequences predicted in signs
Any negative impact can harm the plant:
- A tree requires communication and care. You need to talk to him and look at him as often as possible.
- In public places, myrtle grows poorly and loses its magical properties altogether.
- The tree should be cared for by the same person; the plant responds best to female energy.
- If you abandon the tree and throw it away, luck and prosperity will immediately leave the life of the former owner of the flower.
- Quarrels and strife in the house will lead to the rapid death of the plant, which will bring even more trouble to the family.
It is also necessary to avoid negative statements and actions towards the plant.
By following the rules for growing and caring for a myrtle tree, there will always be a great mood, love, happiness and health for all family members in the house.
Signs associated with myrtle
Despite the good symbolism, the plant can predict danger. Ultimately, any unpleasant and difficult situation will end well. The person will gain life experience.
For a correct explanation of the signs, it is important on what day of the week the flower came home:
- Monday - disappointment in friends awaits. Friends will turn away and not help in difficult times;
- Tuesday - there will be a promotion at work. Recognition in the team, support from superiors;
- Wednesday - to meet a friend with whom communication has long ceased. Trust will be restored;
- Thursday - portends a break with your loved one. There will be quarrels, people will grow cold towards each other. Separation is inevitable;
- Friday or Saturday - a personal crisis is possible. A person will not cope with troubles and will become despondent. Communication with family will help you get out of depression;
- buying a flower on Sunday promises good news from distant relatives.
If myrtle is purchased for your own home, it determines events that will affect each family member. It is important not only to receive a warning, but also to try to avoid trouble:
- a lush crown of a flower - to disappointment in love. The ideal image of the chosen one(s) will be broken forever. This will lead to melancholy and prolonged melancholy;
- Pests have appeared on the myrtle tree - an unpleasant move awaits. Due to circumstances, you will have to change housing and solve many problems;
- the sluggish, unhealthy appearance of the plant portends danger. A bad event will affect the whole family;
- beautiful, strong myrtle - worth waiting for the birth of a child. Will be born either to relatives or to the person himself;
- lush flowering of a tree - the sense of proportion will disappear. It will be difficult to stop on time. Money and time will be wasted;
- watering a flower on Wednesday or on weekends - the appearance of small joys in life;
- throw away the plant - scare away good luck. Fortune will turn away. You will have to provide different options in advance or the result will be bad.
Myrtle can improve any atmosphere in the home. This amazing flower will give you comfort and excellent health. Just pay attention to the signs before purchasing.
Propagation of myrtle by cuttings
Cuttings are the most reliable and best way to propagate myrtle. Its seeds quickly lose their viability; in addition, when propagated by seeds, flowering will occur only after three years.
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Cuttings can be taken from friends after formative pruning of the tree. It is best if they come from the middle or lower part of the crown. Rooting of cuttings should be carried out in January, February and July. For cuttings, semi-lignified shoots of the current year with a length of 8 to 10 cm are selected.
Procedure for rooting cuttings:
- The lower leaves are removed from the cut shoot.
- The large leaves located at the top are shortened by half, and the small ones - by a third of the length.
- The lower cut is treated with a root formation stimulator (Heterauxin or Kornevin).
- A wide and low container is prepared.
- The soil for rooting should consist of sand and sphagnum (0.5:1) or sand and leaf soil (0.5:1).
- The cuttings are placed in moist soil and covered with a glass jar or other transparent cap.
- The containers are placed in a shaded place with an air temperature within +17...+20 degrees.
- To prevent the soil from turning sour, the cover must be removed briefly every day.
After about a month, the roots will grow, and the cuttings are planted in separate pots with a diameter of about 7 cm. The same soil mixture is used. Caring for young seedlings involves regularly moistening the soil and spraying the foliage. It is necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out.
When the cuttings grow up, which will happen in about a year, the plants are transplanted into pots, the diameter of which should be 9 cm. Rooted and grown bushes should be cared for in the same way as adult trees.
How to get myrtle to bloom
For a plant to bloom at home you need:
- First of all, extend daylight hours and add lighting. But avoid direct sunlight in summer.
- Allow the myrtle to rest, a period when watering stops and the temperature drops to +8...+10°C. Then return to room temperature.
- When replanting, use a soil mixture of peat, humus, turf soil and sand.
- Feed with mineral fertilizers, but only after selecting the correct ratio. The reasons for the lack of flowering are a lack of phosphorus and potassium or an excess of nitrogen.
- Water frequently without waterlogging the soil.
- Prune myrtle every year.
Exported to Europe several centuries ago, myrtle has taken root well in homes and feels great. There are about one hundred species of myrtle tree. In order for beautiful plants with such an amazing and rich history to please the eye, you should pay them a little attention: simple care with plenty of watering. This is all that is required from the owner of a magical flower with amazing energy!