TimV
Puritanboard Botanist
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.
