Myrtle, Common

Myrtle forms a densely branched and evergreen shrub. The plant grows wild in dry, sunny areas of the Mediterranean region, but is also used as an ornamental shrub. The shrub blooms in summer and is then covered with fragrant, white flowers, which grow to about 2 cm in size. After flowering, purple berries with a diameter of 7 mm appear. In the Netherlands, myrtle is considered moderately hardy; it is safer to keep the plant in a pot and overwinter it frost-free.
Leaves, flowers, and fruits are used for perfumery. Myrtle oil, an antitussive, is extracted from the plant. An aromatic scent is released when the leaf is crushed. Myrtle is said to bring good luck in marriage and fertility. In Mediterranean countries, pieces of meat and poultry are wrapped in myrtle leaves before serving, which subtly flavors the meat. Myrtle branches are also used for fires on which meat is roasted. Myrtle leaf tea promotes expectoration. Dried and ground leaves were formerly used as body powder.
On Sukkot, the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles, three myrtle twigs picked on the first day of the festival, along with other branches and a fragrant fruit, are used for the "Lulav waving," a custom based on Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:40-41. The fragrant but tasteless myrtle branches or "hadassim" symbolize Jews who do not study the Torah but do apply it. A customer's addition: "As an addition to your story about myrtle, in Sardinia, a liqueur is made from it that is not to be scorned. There are various brands for sale; if you go somewhere to eat, you first get a glass of myrtle, and it is also often sold in carafes and special bottles as a souvenir."

Names:
Latin: Myrtus communis
Dutch: Mirte
Also: Bruidsmirte
English: Myrtle