As Richard Mabey points out in his superlative book Flora Britannica, this is a plant of contradictions. The flat-topped sprays of creamy white flowers have a heady fragrance; distinctly musky and sweet. The young leaves, by contrast, smell pretty bad. It’s one of the few seedlings that rabbits seem to have no interest in nibbling, and bunches of foliage were once tied to the harnesses of working horses to ward off flies.
The mature wood is hard and suitable for carving, but younger stems have soft pith at the centre, which can easily be pushed out. In simpler times, children fashioned them into peashooters and whistles. They were also blown through to aid fire lighting.
INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS
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