FLORENCE-Just what is a “bottle tree”? As its name implies, it’s a tree – either tall or short – which literally has glass bottles attached to its limbs. Such trees may be found anywhere in the United States, but they are most often associated with the American South. It has been commonly thought that the practice of attaching bottles to limbs of trees originated in Africa – in the Congo, in particular – but more recent research has revealed a similar practice as early as 1600 B.C. in Egypt and Mesopotamia.
In the folklore of the United States, especially from Texas to South Carolina, bottle trees were believed to capture evil spirits; thus, they were installed on the property surrounding a house in order to protect the people who lived there. Blue bottles became the bottle of choice because it was thought that when sunlight flashes through them, the evil spirits are blinded by the dazzling color; additionally, the colored light was believed to have healing powers.
The late Southern writer, Eudora Welty, made bottle trees famous through Livvie, the female protagonist in Welty’s short story by the same name.
A prominent bottle tree in the City of Florence can be seen in the rear yard of the W.C. Handy Home and Museum on West College Street. Others are on display on lawns and in private gardens throughout the City.
Media Release/Billy Warren, City of Florence Historian
