Pipe-weed

Pipe-weed by Kay Woollard

Pipe-weed (also known as Halflings' Leaf or simply Leaf) was a plant that was most notably cultivated by the Hobbits of the Shire.

Properties

Pipe-weed was famous for its fragrant flowers. It preferred southern climates and grew abundantly in Gondor. In northern regions, like Eriador, it was not as rich and large, and was never found in the wild; it flourished only in warm sheltered places like the southern slopes of the Bree-hill, or Longbottom in the Shire.

History

The plant was probably native to Númenor, and was brought to Middle-earth by the Númenóreans during the Second Age. It grew in Gondor as a wild herb, appreciated primarily for its fragrant blossoms, where it was known as sweet galenas or more popularly as westmansweed.

Pipe-weed reached Eriador by the Greenway some time in the Third Age. The Bree-hobbits were likely the first to put it in pipes and use it for smoking, but the first "true" pipe-weed was grown by Tobold Hornblower of Longbottom in the Southfarthing around S.R. 1070. The art of smoking pipe-weed spread from Bree to Men, Dwarves and others who wandered through the crossroads by Bree. Meriadoc Brandybuck therefore considered The Prancing Pony as the "home and centre" of the smoking art.

The Wizard Gandalf learned to smoke pipe-weed from the Hobbits and was often seen blowing smoke-rings. Saruman initially derided him for this, but at some point he took up smoking himself, and even had commerce with the Shire; after the destruction of Isengard, pipe-weed was found among its stores, but the Hobbits Merry and Pippin failed to realize the sinister implications.

The cultivation and exportation of this herb became a key industry in the Shire, especially in the south. Popular varieties of pipe-weed from the Shire included Longbottom Leaf, Old Toby, and Southern Star. Perhaps less popular was Southlinch from Bree.

After the War of the Ring, Meriadoc Brandybuck authored Herblore of the Shire discussing the origins and history of the Hobbits' 'art' of smoking pipe-weed.

Inspiration

In the prologue to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien stated specifically that it is "a variety probably of Nicotiana", i.e. tobacco.

Other names

The common Gondorian name of pipe-weed was westmansweed. The more noble name was galenas (a Númenórean Sindarin form of the proper Sindarin form galanes), with Quenya forms alanessë or alenessë derived from ala- ("plant, grow") and nes- ("sweet smelling").

Portrayal in adaptations

Sweet Galenas in The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar

2007: The Lord of the Rings Online:

The smoke from Sweet Galenas takes the form of a sailing ship that floats out from the pipe.

2014: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Game of the Year Edition):

The plant is used for healing Tallion, as well as other plants.