Nine days have passed and the flowers in the arrangement Travis sent me are drooping and turning brown. These berries, however, are still hanging in there.
When I first started the page, I had no idea what type of berries these were. After I worked the sketch, I stopped and did some research...learning these are Hypericum Berries - St. John's Wort. Another name known as Floral Berries that are bred specifically for floral arrangements growing on longer stems.
To me it's a bit confusing reading about St John's Wort as it's known for healing attributes and yet more research specifying the plant is poisonous. So not really sure what parts might be poisonous and what parts can be safely used for healing. The one thing that appears to be consistent in various articles is the fact the berries are definitely poisonous. Highly toxic to various animals to include dogs and livestock.
Worked in journal with old stock of Fabriano Artistico / TWSBI 580ALR w/Lexy Grey ink / Daniel Smith watercolors - Sap Green, Aliz, Quin Rose, Ultramarine and Bt Umber.
2 comments:
Very interesting post. After reading it I checked in my herb book and found that St. John's Wort is used for several health reasons. I have heard that it is helpful for depression. And there is a caution included that St. John's Wort has been known to poison livestock. And it may also make eyes and skin sensitive to the sun. Plants are so interesting! Thanks for sharing.
I'm still rather confused on the plant itself with it being used for various health reasons and then reading the plant can be toxic. Makes a neat addition to flower arrangements though! :-)
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