Everyone needs a friend. Some prefer the furry or feathered kind and some favour mankind, but have you ever considered the Plant Kingdom as your friend? In Chinese plantlore a specific group of three plants are called the Three Friends of Winter.
I guess you could say these three plants make great companions, although I’ve not found anything in companion planting tomes that suggest they like to share a bed, if you will. That said beds aren’t the natural habit of this majestic trio as they’re on the rather large side. What are they? They are the Pine, Bamboo and the Plum tree.
They earned their buddy reference, firstly due to seasonality. In a bleak winterscape many plants are bereft of leaves so the three amigos add a welcome dash of colour and hope for the season ahead. Each plant brings its gifts - perpetual green stalks and leaves from Bamboo, evergreen needles from the Pine and the Plum blossom buds forebodes Spring is on the way.
Section of “Three Friends” Xugu (Zhu Huairen) 1894 via Met Musuem. Public domain
PINE 🌲
The evergreen nature of the pine tree that doesn’t shed its needles, is oft depicted in Chinese landscape paintings, especially to denote the 12th Lunar month. It’s stoic nature is symbolic of longevity and steadfastness - which is why it’s oft favoured as a symbol of wedding bliss. The needles of the pine tree, grow in pairs and when the Pine partners with the Crane, it’s indicative of Longevity - a nod to the sentiment of Marriage and a peaceful long life. The pine also references solitude, and acts as a landmark for graveyards. Have you ever stood in a Forest of pine trees? The smell is amazing the healing garnered by a forest walk is well known by many cultures. The needles of coniferous trees are rich in terpenes, which are known to calm the nervous system and promote relaxation.
PLANT MAGIC :: In Plant magic, pine components lend their power to fertility and exorcism spells. With sawdust from the branches forming the main base of incense. And on a basic magic level the burning of Pine needles is commonplace when energetically cleansing ones home, especially in winter due to its availability.
The Pine tree is a conifer, as is the Fir tree. Both bear cones and are equally ubiquitously linked to Christmas and oft decked in decoration for the yuletide festivities. Note - tree specimens weren’t historically cut down for Xmas - boughs and branches were used or an external tree specimen was kept in tact and decorated outdoors. (More on Christmas decoration here.) While nature’s natural decorations - the pine cone, was and remains, a classic nod to the season to Yuletide festivity. In fact one piece of folklore notes a cone garnered on Midsummer ’s day, with its seeds in tact, is prized for immunity to … gunshots! Or perhaps it’s better used as a weather omen - if the cone stays open, it promises fine weather, while closed one should take cover as rain is on the way. Shape wise, the Pine tree is elementally liked to the fire element; and when lit with fairylight or candles and trimmed in vivid red decs it’s elemental links are amplified even more some.
'Bamboo', ink on paper painting by Lin Zexu (1785-1850).JPGBamboo, ink on paper painting by Lin Zexu (1785-1850) Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
BAMBOO 🎋
If I just utter the word Bamboo; I instantly follow up with China. It’s almost like their National emblem - like shamrock is to the Irish. Great forests of Bamboo are seen in Central and Southern China, its prolific growth is the very reason it’s oft banned in domestic gardens in various countries worldwide. And its tolerance to all that winter throws at it is why it makes the Winter kinship cut. Its resilience and infrequent flowering cycle, sometimes nearly 120-year cycle, is another. But the perpetual green stalks and leaves of Bamboo in a winterscape is of equal merit.
If a plant had the ‘nose to tail approach’ of Butchery then Bamboo is the Bushery equivalent. It’s used as food source for man and beast, textiles, paper, construction, buildings, transport, furnishings, floorings, irrigation, medicine, art, musical instruments, accessories, incense, spiritual uses, gardening, nature’s windbreaker, even as a firecracker vessel….. the list goes on - a no waste plant. A trip to Hong Kong a few years ago, certainly endorsed this for me. When I realized that Bamboo is a Scaffolding staple in the construction industry, shunning steel over the strength and endurance of the tall hollow stems. So when you learn of Bamboo’s symbolic meaning in Chinese culture, it’s easy to see why it symbolizes Longevity and Steadfastness, virtue and honesty.
As China can take credit for the invention of paper, we see Bamboo is a primary component in the process. And paper never refused ink depicting Bamboo. Chinese paintings are awash with ink scrolls depicting rich symbolism, so when two of the trio - Plum and Bamboo join forces, it alludes to a husband and wife. Paintings with a pair of magpies and Bamboo with plums, signify a wish for marital joy. But the three amigos combined - Pine, Plum and Bamboo are collectively grouped in an artwork to represent the season of winter, as well as perseverance and an unyielding spirit.
The Gardening community resonate with the grass’ symbolic alignment to hard work. In fact it’s advised one avoids planting in the rear of a property. Why? Well if you do so, you’ll find yourself working hard but your wealth may dwindle. So should your local council allow Bamboo planting, it’s ideally placed in the front of a property. I’m likely to share a naturally occurring sway of Bamboo with my neighbours on the shoreline outside my home.
In the spiritual realm the evergreen grass is not without favour. Daoists choose Bamboo as the perfect analogy tool to illustrate their concept of 'inaction'. The example of bamboo malleability - It bends in the wind, rather than trying to block it and be broken by it. Bamboo is also used as a feng shui remedy and sometimes fashioned into wind chimes or a certain number of Bamboo shoots are used to remediate a specific flying star. While in magical circles is said to break hexes.
WINTER PLUM
The bare branches of the Plum tree deliver a late winter, early spring blossom and thus earn the symbolic meaning as a harbinger of Spring. During the 1st solar term, the beginning of the Chinese calendar year (lichun) fireworks fashioned from bamboo are set off and the first of the seasons Spring buds show a flush of pink and cream Plum blossom - Prunus mume. It also symbolize perseverance and hope as the flower often appears against a snowy winterscape. It’s representative of beauty and purity.
Jin Nong, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In winter, daylight hours are less. In order to appreciate nature against a dark sky, Chinese gardens originally incorporated pavilions to view specifically the blossoms of the plum in the moonlight.
During the ninth Solar term (around June 6th) of ‘Grain in Beard’ (Mang Zhong) the ‘Plum Rains’ come. They bring continuous rain and cloudy conditions and it’s no coincidence that Plums also ripen during this period. So the humble Plum makes for a traditional ritual offering to ensure a good harvest happens on the 1st day of ‘Grain Ear’. Another tradition involves boiling green plums, which contain various medicinal properties when cooked in this manner.
Plum trees are also considered a totem to ward against evil spirits. In feng shui literature the NE direction on compass is known as the Gate of Demons (don’t fret if you have a NE front door, in Feng Shui many layers need to combine to manifest specific outcomes). So it was said the NE winds were malefic and could bring with it misfortune. So plum trees were traditionally found standing guard in the North East corner of old temple and estate.
Along with Bamboo, the Plum is also depicted to represent seasons - ‘Flower of the Four Seasons’ - the Plum for Winter and Bamboo for Summer, as its vibrant and lush in Summer. And on it’s own, the Plum is used in art and scroll paintings to depict the 1st Lunar month of the year. As I write it’s not long till N.H dwellers see the bare, gnarly plum branches with swollen buds ready to Spring forth ⧇
“Living eye to eye with environmental wisdom ”
