Ruscus

Ruscus

“thoughtfulness and humility”

Ruscus, known in Britain as butcher's broom, is a native evergreen whose glossy 'leaves' are in fact flattened stems. Butchers once bundled its stiff sprigs to scrub their chopping blocks, which gave the plant its name. In the language of flowers it is linked with thoughtfulness and humility, a fitting reputation for foliage that works so hard without asking for attention. It lasts a long time in the vase, often outliving everything around it.

In season, and in the studio

Ruscus is in season all year round, so it is in the studio this month. In the studio's bunches it is foliage: the frame every bunch is built on, and the green that makes the colours read. The studio buys it in deep green, and at the bench each colour is read for its own meaning.

What each colour says

• Deep greensteadfastness and enduring support

Right for