An evergreen flowering plant, commonly growing as a shrub but sometimes reaching the height of a low tree, myrtle has glossy dark green leaves and grows white flowers and blue-black berries. It was among the many herbs and plants found growing in Ithilien, a land with the warmer climate that the plant prefers. It was perhaps also found farther north: the daughter of Peony Baggins and Milo Burrows was given the name 'Myrtle', showing that the plant was known, and perhaps cultivated, in regions as far north as the Shire.
Notes
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This is a very old name, with myrtos being used in ancient Greek for the same plant. Going back even further, the name seems to have arisen from an archaic root meaning 'bitter', and through this root the name 'myrtle' is etymologically connected to the word 'myrrh' (a substance actually produced by a plant quite unrelated to myrtle).
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- Updated 12 July 2018
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