Hello and welcome to Stories of Scotland, a podcast exploring Scottish history, nature and culture.

I'm Annie, hidden amongst the weeds.

And I'm Jenny, lost in the bracken.

In this episode, we're examining the biology and folklore of a few of our favourite Scottish plants.

Now, I never thought that I would be this intrigued by the common plants that we're speaking of.

But I'm hoping that this episode will help bring the

landscape to life, because we've chosen a couple of specimens that are incredibly common across

Scotland. A little warning in this episode that we'll have discussion of death and dissection, but only in a folklore context.

We'll be speaking about old superstitions relating to medicine, so please remember that these are superstitions and not medical advice.

So Jenny, tell us about your plant persona. I am a wee plant that inspires poetry,

like this nugget from Walter Scott. Go on then, my leafy pal. High away, high away, over bank and

over bray, where the copsewood is the greenest, where the fountains glistened sheenest,

where the lady fern grows strongest, lovely, lonesome cool and green, overbank and overbrae,

high away, high away.

So you're a lady fern then? Yes, I am Newman's Lady Fern, to be precise.

A therium flexile to my friends.

Well, the Latin-speaking ones at least.

I am native to Scotland and found all over this beautiful country.

From shady damp forests to high mountain tops, I thrive amongst the boulders

up there, where there is less competition from bigger ferns. For I am but a wee

fern, unfurling in the shelter of the scree that surrounds me, high up on this exposed

mountain side. I love nothing more than the snow

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