Ever notice bottles hanging from a tree? This is a bottle tree, a tradition rooted in Central Africa, possibly dating to 9th-century Mesopotamia, and brought to the American South by enslaved Africans. Part of Southern folk culture, these trees use colorful glass bottles—often cobalt blue for healing and protection—to trap evil spirits. Lured inside, spirits are disoriented by sunlight and their cries echo as wind passes through the bottles. Created using a real tree or steel frame, bottle trees are more than art; they symbolize resilience, protection, and a deep cultural connection to the past.
