The 'pimpernoot' or paternosterbollekesboom

In this forest, you will regularly see plants with information and explanations about the plants. This forest was indeed planted at the end of the nineteenth century, and besides native species, many ornamental plants were used. One of these ornamental shrubs is the European pimpernel. The seeds are round balls that start off green and then turn brown. You don’t need much imagination to understand why this shrub is called paternosterbollekesboom in Flanders. These seeds were used as beads and were strung together to make paternosters.

Jan Rymenams