Many of the characters in Artemis Fowl are named after various plants and minerals. Here we look at what those have meant to humans, or have been used for, throughout history.

Holly
Holly is a shrub with prickly green leaves and red berries, with species found all over the world.

It it perhaps most readily recognised as a Christmas plant; Christians feel that the sharp leaves are reminiscent of Christ’s Crown of Thorns, and the red of the berries resembles the blood he shed.

However Celtic mythology sees the holly plant as being protective, and a symbol of fertility and eternal life.

Holly leaves of some species can also be used to make tea and brandy.

Kelp

Kelp is a seaweed which, despite its appearance, isn’t actually a plant. It’s a different type of organism called a heterokont. It grows in kelp forests all over the world, anywhere there is are cold, shallow, nutrient-rich waters and a rocky seafloor to anchor onto.

Humans have used kelp for a variety of things, including as a source of iodine, soda ash (used in soap and glass production), and alginate, which is a thickener used in ice creams, toothpastes, jellies, and other products.

Various types of kelp are an important part of cuisines such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Russian.

Medicinally, due to the iodine content, kelp has historically been used to treat goitre, and recently it has been found effective at preventing fat absorption and could be used to treat obesity.

Briar

Briar, also sometimes spelled brier, is a word used to describe any thicket-forming plant with a prickly or thorny stem. These include roses, blackberries, and heather.

Opal

Precious opal is a form of silica which displays iridescence, or play-of-colour, with its colours depending on the conditions under which it formed. It is mined primarily in Australia and Ethiopia.

It is the birthstone for October, and some people believe that the stone represents hope, innocence, and purity. The ancient Greeks believed that opals could bestow the power of prophecy, and in the Middle Ages it was thought that the gemstones could be used to treat eye conditions. But by the 18th and 19th centuries, opals had become associated with bad luck, plague, famine, and death.

It is a stone with a mixed history, many things to many people, but remains popular in jewellery to this day.

Mulch

Mulch is any material spread onto a garden to improve soil fertility, suppress weeds, and/or retain moisture in the soil. It is usually organic, and may consist of leaves, grass clippings, wood and bark chips, straw, or newspaper. Occasionally inorganic mulch may be used, such as plastic or rubber sheeting. Mulch is different from compost in that mulch is only ever applied to the surface and never dug through into the soil.

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a blue gemstone with flecks of gold mica, primarily mined in Afghanistan. It has been popular in jewellery and ornamentation from the time of the ancient Egyptians right up to the present.

From the earliest of times, the stone has been associated with strength and courage, royalty and wisdom, intellect and truth. It has been thought to ward off evil, improve eyesight, and help with headaches and anxiety.

The ancient Egyptians ground it up to use as eye shadow, and it is the basis of the pigment ultramarine.