Blue Bottle Tree Traditions
- African slaves brought the idea of the bottle tree as a means of protection with them when they came to America. However, the idea of trapping spirits in bottles goes back further in history, as can be seen in the idea of the genie in the bottle from Arabian history.
- The bottles on the bottle tree are thought to trap evil spirits during the evening hours. Then in the morning, sunlight kills the spirits. Although many different colors are used today, blue is the traditional color. When the bottle tree began, blue was believed to ward off spirits.
- The tradition today has less to do with catching and destroying evil as it does decoration. Throughout the south, bottle trees can be found in gardens and fields as lawn ornaments.