

Pipe-weed was a plant of Middle-earth, in particular grown and enjoyed much by the hobbits of the Shire, to whom it was first introduced by Tobold Hornblower.

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History

It was first grown in the Shire by Tobold Hornblower in Longbottom around SR 1070 (the year 2670 of the Third Age). Despite its foreign origins, the hobbits were the first to use it for smoking. Pipe-weed production became a major industry in the Shire, especially in the south.[1]

The same plant was known among the Dúnedain as sweet galenas for its fragrance. In Gondor, it was known as Westman's-weed, and grew there as a wild plant, appreciated most for its sweet-scented flowers. The colloquial name was in reference to its origins: it was apparently brought to Middle-earth by Númenóreans in the Second Age.[2]

Popular hobbit varieties of pipe-weed soon included Longbottom Leaf, Old Toby (named after Tobold Hornblower and revered by Bilbo Baggins), Southern Star, and Southlinch, which was grown in Bree.

The Wizard Gandalf learned to smoke pipe-weed from the Hobbits and was known to blow elaborate smoke-rings. Saruman initially criticized him for this, but eventually took up smoking himself. After the destruction of Isengard, pipe-weed was found among its stores, but the hobbits Merry and Pippin failed to realized until later the implications of the discovery of Saruman's commerce with the Shire.[3]

See also

Translations

Foreign Language Translated name Catalan Herbes de pipa Croatian Trava za lulu Czech Roura bylinkový Danish Pibe urt Dutch Pijpkruid Finnish Piippukessu French l'herbe à pipe German Pfeifenkraut Italian Erba Pipa Latvian Cauruļu garšaugi Lithuanian Vamzdžių žolės Macedonian Cyrillic Цевни билки Norwegian Pipeurt Polish Fajkowe ziele Portuguese A grama de Tubulação Russian Трубочное зелье Spanish Hierba para pipa