The myrtle is an evergreen shrub, a symbol of beauty and youth, a sacred plant of Paphos Aphrodite, which when she came out naked from the sea hid behind a myrtle , it was known since antiquity, when it was used as a decorative plant in temples.
Another myth describes Phaedra piercing the myrtle leaves either out of grief or to take revenge on Aphrodite, because Hippolytus did not fall in love with her. This myth tries to explain why myrtle leaves look pierced when seen in the sun . These transparent spots are actually essential oil glands.
Dioscorides classified myrtles into those with blue and those with white fruits, which have medicinal properties. He gave them as an antidote for scorpion and spider bites and to cure bladder diseases and diarrhea, in the form of boiled juice. This recipe is still used today in traditional medicine.
