History of the Bottle Tree

The history of the bottle tree originated in Africa. During the slave trade, the bottle tree tradition migrated to the southern United States. The slaves would place bottles in trees in hopes that the evil spirits, or “haints”, would go into the bottles and be trapped. Once the “haints” were trapped, the slaves would cork the bottles and throw them into the river to wash away the evil spirits.

The bottle tree is based on the belief that the shiny, colored glass of the bottles can attract and then trap the evil spirits, keeping them away from the home and it’s occupants. Cobalt blue is the most popular bottle color, in that it’s vibrant and will attract and trap the “haints” inside.

You will see bottle trees outside many homes as this superstition still exists widely throughout the south and has spread to other areas of the country.