DEWBERRY
Plants, Berry, Dewberry Seona Anderson Plants, Berry, Dewberry Seona Anderson

DEWBERRY

Shakespeare Species Dewberry: feed him with apricocks and dewberries. Titania lists all the delicacies that she will feed to Bottom during her infatuation. Dewberries are closely related to Blackberries.

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PEAR
Plants, Fruit, Pear Seona Anderson Plants, Fruit, Pear Seona Anderson

PEAR

Shakespeare Species Pear: they would whip me with their fine wits till I were as crestfallen as a dried pear. Another of Falstaff's vivid fruit based images.

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Filbert
Plants, Filbert, Hazel, Nut Seona Anderson Plants, Filbert, Hazel, Nut Seona Anderson

Filbert

Shakespeare Species Filbert: I'll bring thee to clustering filberts. Calaban offers to show the shipwrecked sailors how to find wild food on his island. Filberts are larger, cultivated Hazelnuts.

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COCKLE
Plants, Cockle, Corncockle, Weeds Seona Anderson Plants, Cockle, Corncockle, Weeds Seona Anderson

COCKLE

Shakespeare Species Cockle: we nourish ‘gainst our senate the cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition. Corncockle was formerly so familiar in arable fields that it was a byword for rebellion & disorder, a weed destroying the order & productivity of the crop. Now it is one of the rarest arable plants throughout Europe because of seed cleaning methods.

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OATS
Plants, Crops, Oats, Fodder Seona Anderson Plants, Crops, Oats, Fodder Seona Anderson

OATS

Shakespeare Species Oats: poor fellow never joyed since the price of oats rose. It was the death of him. Shakespeare includes Oats in connection with feeding animals but it was also used for food & there are several references to porridge.

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BARLEY
Plants, Crops, Barley Seona Anderson Plants, Crops, Barley Seona Anderson

BARLEY

Shakespeare Species Barley: can sodden water… their barley broth, decoct their cold blood to such valiant heat? The French before Agincourt speculate on what is firing up the foolhardy and frosty English. Barley was important for both food and drinks.

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RED WHEAT
Plants, Crops, Red Wheat, Wheat Seona Anderson Plants, Crops, Red Wheat, Wheat Seona Anderson

RED WHEAT

Shakespeare Species Red Wheat: sir: shall we sow the hade land with wheat? with red wheat. Red Wheat is Bearded or Durum Wheat. Durum Wheat is often used for pasta nowadays but was also used for bread in Shakespeare’s world.

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QUINCE
Plants, Quince, Fruit, Orchard Seona Anderson Plants, Quince, Fruit, Orchard Seona Anderson

QUINCE

Shakespeare Species Quince: I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. Quinces were popular fruits in Shakespeare’s world but are much less common in British orchards and gardens today.

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DAMSON
Plants, Trees, Damson, Fruit Seona Anderson Plants, Trees, Damson, Fruit Seona Anderson

DAMSON

Shakespeare Species Damson: my wife desired some damsons and made me climb, with danger of my life. Damsons, along with Plums, Greengages, Bullaces and Sloes are still valued for their fruits.

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SAVORY
Plants, Herbs, Medicine, Savory Seona Anderson Plants, Herbs, Medicine, Savory Seona Anderson

SAVORY

Shakespeare Species Savory: Here’s flowers for you: hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram…these are flowers of middle summer and I think they are given to men of middle age. Perdita assigns different plants to the guests at the sheep shearing feast. Savory had medicinal and culinary uses.

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MULBERRY
Plants, Trees, Mulberry, Fruit Seona Anderson Plants, Trees, Mulberry, Fruit Seona Anderson

MULBERRY

Shakespeare Species Mulberry: Now humble as the ripest mulberry that will not hold the handling. Black Mulberry was being grown in Britain by the mid 16th century. The native range is unclear because it has been cultivated in many countries since antiquity for fruit.

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HEMLOCK
Plants, Poison, Hemlock, Magic, Weeds Seona Anderson Plants, Poison, Hemlock, Magic, Weeds Seona Anderson

HEMLOCK

Shakespeare Species Hemlock: root of hemlock digg’d i’ th’ dark… for the ingredience of our cauldron. Hemlock is a poisonous member of the Carrot family. Shakespeare uses it in the witches’ broth, in King Lear’s crown of weeds and in Burgundy’s description of war ravaged France.

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