May 15: Wild Blue Phlox and Wild Geranium

Now blooming are two flowers which look somewhat alike, but culturally are opposites.

The first is the Wild Blue Phlox. 

Wild Blue Phlox

 This flower is so beloved that Europeans borrowed it from American and brought it back to Europe. In Victorian England, it symbolized a proposal of love and wish for pleasant dreams. This may be because it attracts butterflies, so has the sort of "sunshine and rainbows" charm about it.

On the other hand, there is Wild Geranium.

Wild Geranium

It is equally as beautiful, but it was used for opposite purposes. To counteract an unwanted love potion, Native Americans used to make a tea of Wild Geranium and place it near the afflicted person.