The Shadow Laurel

An evergreen shrub of shady European woodlands, Daphne laureola is known for the high toxicity of its sap and berries, which can cause severe irritation and poisoning; for this reason it was traditionally considered a plant “not to be touched”. Its name recalls the myth of Apollo and Daphne, in which the nymph transforms into a tree to escape the god: an image that has accompanied the plant’s symbolism for centuries, representing chastity and transformation. In some Alpine and Central European regions, dried stems were used to make hats and small traditional objects, exploiting the flexibility of the wood; elsewhere it was regarded as an “ill-omened” plant precisely because of its danger.