Thread: The mysterious Mandrake

Gen 30:14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
Gen 30:15 But she said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?" Rachel said, "Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes."
Gen 30:16 When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night.

When it comes to the herbs mentioned in classical literature and history, are there any that are more mysterious than Mandrake? Like many members of the "tomato" family, Mandrake is a whole pharmacy of different chemicals, and has been used as long as there have been records for medicinal and other purposes.

One of the most valuable uses of Mandrake as been as an anaesthetic. Surgeons for thousands of years, all over the Mideast and Southern Europe used it to make their patients pass out before operating. The Carthaginians once quelled a rebellion by leaving a besieged city after lacing a large store of wine with Mandrake, waited until the invading soldiers had started drinking, and when the became insensate came back in and killed them all.

But it's association with love is what makes this plant so mysterious. It is argued that the Hebrew word used for Mandrake comes from the word love. And until very recently, the fruit of the Mandrake had as one of it's common names "love apple", and this fruit, which looks like a small apple is perhaps what Ruben found while playing in the fields. It was the right time of the year "at the wheat harvest" and the Septuagint uses the word for the fruit of the plant rather than the root.

We don't really know what the women wanted the Mandrake for; reading the account it is easy to think that it was to help with conception, and indeed it has been used for that forever. But reading closer there is no textual reason to believe this, all we are left with is more mystery.

Here is the variety of Mandrake most scholars feel was found by young Reuben, Mandragora officinarum. I grew it from seed I planted two years ago. It doesn't like hot weather, and went dormant last summer, although I don't know how common that happens in the wild. I keep it moist, and feed it regularly.

More cool stuff from Tim's incredible greenhouse! Thanks, brother!

According to the creator of Pan's Labyrinth they also do well being kept in bowls of milk under your bed. That was a strange movie.

Do you wear pink earmuffs when you repot them?

No, I've already lost my sanity, so it's too late to try to prevent it.

Surely one of your other plants contains a remedy?