Houseplants for the month of Mary

By Megan Marley

When I was about 10, I “helped” my elder cousins plant a Mary garden for our grandma’s birthday. Looking back, I was probably more of a hindrance.

Born in May and named Mary, Grandma had a great devotion to Our Lady.

Most of her daughters are named after a title or attribute of Mary. Rosaries of all colors stashed in the nooks and crannies of her room were easily accessible to pray for her 14 children every day. And by the end of her life, an entire wall of framed pictures gifted to her of various titles and apparitions of Mary stood testimony. The smells of honeysuckle from the garden, warmed-over Folgers and old books still remind me of her, and of those final months when cancer took her memory of our names but not the words of the Hail Mary she repeated from habit.

She made devotion to the Mother of God a normal, everyday thing to the end.

In many ways, it’s hard to carve out literal and figurative space for prayer in today’s cramped, busy life — let alone cultivate devotion to Mary. But since I have an increasing houseplant horde to water, it’s a good opportunity to revisit themes of that old Mary garden in my own home to grow both faith and flora.

Below are some tips and meaningful plants to cultivate your own windowsill Mary garden.

Space and containers

When finding containers and plants, keep in mind the size of the windowsill and the space needed for healthy root growth. It might make sense to have a couple of smaller potted plants around a Mary statue rather than all in one container.

Decor

A Mary statue or plaque is a good focal piece for your mini-garden. Metal, plastic or glass statues work best if placed in a pot, since wood and plaster absorb water. Other fun accents to include are painted rocks with prayer intentions, seashells and stars for “Our Lady Star of the Sea,” angels, etc.

Theme

The plants listed below all have a symbolic meaning related to Mary, and there are extensive lists online to pull from. Depending on the coordination of light, soil and watering needs, it’s possible to combine some plants into Marian themes such as mysteries of the rosary or attributes of Mary. Or maybe you want a dual-purpose herb and Mary garden!

Herbs

• Basil (Holy Communion Plant)

• Chives (Our Lady’s Garlic)

• Dill (Devil Away)

• Lavender (Mary’s Drying Plant)

• Lemon Balm (Sweet Mary)

• Marjoram (Mother of God)

• Rosemary (Rose of Mary/Mary’s Bouquet)

• Sage (Mary’s Shawl)

• Thyme (The Virgin’s Humility)

Foraged plants

• Chicory (Our Lady’s Balm)

• Bee balm (Sweet Mary)

• Dandelion (Mary’s Bitter Sorrow)

• Impatiens (Mother Love)

• Kenilworth Ivy (Tears of Mary)

• Lady’s Mantle (Our Lady’s Mantle)

• Star of Bethlehem plant (Star of Bethlehem)

• Violet (Our Lady’s Modesty)

Flowering plants

• Amaranthus (St. Joseph’s Coat)

• Amaryllis (Beautiful Lady/St. Joseph’s Lily)

• Begonia (Mary’s Heart/ Jesus’ Heart)

• Bleeding heart vine (Rosary Vine)

• Chrysanthemum (All Saints Flower)

• Forget-Me-Not (Mary’s Eyes)

• Geranium (Gentle Virgin/Beautiful Lady)

• Hyacinth (Lily Among Thorns)

• Iris (Mary’s Sword of Sorrow)

• Marigold (Mary’s Gold)

• Mini roses (Mystical Rose/Mary’s Thorn)

• Passionflower (Passion Flower)

• Periwinkle (Virginity)

• Spiderwort (Our Lady’s Tears)

• Tulip (Mary’s Prayer)

Succulents, tropicals and other houseplants

• African violet (Madonna)

• Aloe (Trinity)

• Asparagus Fern (The Maiden’s Hair)

• Crown of Thorns (Crown of Thorns)

• Maidenhair Fern (Our Lady’s Hair)

• Mother of thousands (Madonna’s Herb/ Mother of Thousands)

• Prayer Plant (Prayer Plant)

• Spanish Moss (Mother of Thousands)

• Spider Plant (Queen of Apostles/ St. Bernard’s Lily)

• String of Pearls (Rosary Plant)