DH seems to be the Discoverer in our family. Today he found Indian Pipes, which were on my list of things to look out for! He found the morel too! I should be jealous but just glad he found it! Indan Pipe ( photo / image / picture from CrisGzr's Garden ) MONOTROPA UNIFLORA FAMILY: PYROLACEAE ( photo / image / picture from CrisGzr's Garden ) Lovely legend: According to legend, a long time ago, before selfishness came into the world, the Cherokee people were happy sharing the hunting and fishing places with their neighbors. All this changed when Selfishness came into the world and man began to quarrel. The Cherokee Indians quarreled with tribes on the east. Finally the chiefs of several tribes met in council to try to settle the dispute. They smoked the pipe and continued to quarrel for seven days and seven nights. This displeased the Great Spirit because people are not supposed to smoke the pipe until they make peace. As he looked upon the old men with heads bowed, he decided to do something to remind people to smoke the pipe only at the time they make peace. The Great Spirit turned the old men into greyish flowers now called ~Indian Pipes~ and he made them grow where friends and relatives had quarreled. He made the smoke hang over these mountains until all the people all over the world learn to live together in peace.
I love to read about legends for the names of flowers. So glad your DH found the Indian Pipes for you so that you could relate this one to us all.
You're very welcome! The legends help me remember the plant's names and they impart a bit of wisdom -these mountains usually have a heavy fog in the morning, regardless of the season -this might be the smoke that will remain until there is peace... Chayuga Morning will be familiar with a wonderful lake in Massachusetts, it's name means: "You fish on you side and we'll fish on our side" hmmm, now I wish my husband would find... a big nugget of gold or maybe a huge emerald -both are found in NC! I have to move up from Indian Pipe and Morels!
I keep seeing pictures of the plant when I am looking for other local plants and thought it would be nice to see one someday! I actually had that thought a few days earlier! kismet! It's grown a bit, I'll take more pictures if it does anything different... it's right on the side of the driveway, hope the UPS truck doesn't squash it!
