#mayapple

[geopsych]

Rue anemones and a mayapple doing shadow art in May

[chick-it-out]

the season of mayapple!!!

first photo was taken on the first day of april-- and the last photo is from the last week of may. they have emerged, flowered, fruited, and are now finishing 👋💛

[vandaliatraveler]

“Time is moss-green, damp. It lies on branches, serpentine. It sways to some breath we can’t feel, a noiseless call; and sheds its skin to show a newer green."

In the Rain Forest - Beth Singer Bentley

From top: Painted trillium (Trillium undulatum), a sylphlike spirit of old mossy woods; running clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum) and young ferns lay seige to a rotting stump; wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), often mistaken for ginseng, with clusters of ball-like white flowers; a mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), whose distinctive, palmately-lobed leaves shield a single white flower; heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), a lover of moist forest coves and seeps; the pendulous yellow flowers and graceful, arching stems of smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum); the gaudy, pouch-like flowers of the pink lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule), which function as highly effective bee lures for pollination (note that one of the flowers in the lower photo is pure white, a rare genetic mutation); and a young red eft (Notophthalmus viridescens) starts its perilous journey to adulthood.

[julesofnature]

Mayapple

Down in the shady woodland Where fern-fronds are uncurled, A host of green umbrellas are swiftly now unfurled. Do they shelter fairy people from sudden pelting showers? Or are the leaves but sunshades to shield the waxen flowers? Perhaps they're dainty canopies 'neath which the fairies wed, The blossoms, fragrant marriage bells, That softly swing overhead.

-Minnie Curtis Wait -1901

[forestd0ll]

₊˚⊹ Mayapple blossoms (Podophyllum peltatum) & wild Allegheny blackberry bramble (Rubus allegheniensis) ˚✧₊

[faguscarolinensis]

Podophyllum peltatum / Mayapple at Penny's Bend Nature Preserve in Durham, NC

[quinnfrankephotography]

Very busy walk today with so much wildlife everywhere. Lots of fun.

[astra-ravana]

American Mandrake

American mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum), also known as mayapple, is a native plant of North America. Despite its name, it is not related to the European Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum), which is famous for its magickal and folkloric associations. However, the mayapple has its own history of use in indigenous medicine and herbalism. The plant is toxic in most parts, except for its ripe fruit, which is edible in small amounts.

It has been traditionally used for purgative, antiviral, and wart-removal purposes. Its active compound, podophyllotoxin, is highly potent and used in modern medicine. While it lacks the rich folkloric history of European mandrake, American mandrake still carries a powerful mystical energy, making it suitable for protection, cursing, transformation, and banishing magick.

Correspondences:

Element: Water

Planet: Saturn

Zodiac: Scorpio, Capricorn

Deities: Hekate, Persephone, Chthonic deities, spirits of nature and the underworld

Chakra: Solar Plexus, Third Eye

Gender: Masculine

Magickal Properties:

• Protection & Banishing - Used to ward off negative energies and spirits. Placing dried leaves or roots around the home or in a sachet can act as a protective barrier. Can be symbolically used in banishing rituals to sever toxic ties.

• Shadow Work & Transformation - Represents death and rebirth, making it useful for working through personal transformation. Aids in deep introspection and confronting fears. Useful in rituals for breaking negative cycles and embracing change.

• Hex-Breaking & Curse Removal - Historically linked to purification, it can be used in spellwork to remove spiritual blockages. Mayapple root (or a symbolic representation) can be included in spell jars for dispelling hexes.

• Spirit Communication & Underworld Work - As an underworld-associated plant, it is useful for honoring ancestors and connecting with spirits. Used in rituals invoking chthonic deities or seeking guidance from the dead (necromancy).

• Healing & Purification (Symbolic Use Only) - Traditionally used in folk medicine, but due to its toxicity, it should not be ingested. Can be placed on an altar to represent purification and renewal.

• Hexing & Cursing - Historically, baneful plants have been used in curses or malefic workings. Used in poppets, powders, or symbolic rituals to weaken an enemy’s resolve. If used in sympathetic magick, it may create obstacles or confusion for a target.

• Poisonous Energy in Witchcraft - Represents corruption, rot, and decay in spellwork. Can be used in spells to cause disruption, block progress, or instill doubt. Symbolic use in Dark Moon rituals for destruction before renewal.

• Illusion & Deception Magick - Mayapple has a dual nature—both healing and toxic—making it useful in glamours, deception, or misleading rituals. Used in spell jars or sigil magick to create confusion or misdirection.

Highly toxic: The root, unripe fruit, and leaves contain podophyllotoxin, which can be fatal if ingested or absorbed in large amounts. Use with caution in rituals. American mandrake is best used symbolically rather than physically handled.