Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

Facts about plants will fascinate and freak out

Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart is a fascinating if slightly creepy look at poisonous and harmful plants, some that may be in your yard, house, or even in you rrefrigerator ! First of all, I have to say I love the feel of this book. Too many publishers have forgotten that part of the joy of reading is holding the volume in your hands. Plants is a small hardcover without dust jacket with engraving on the front cover giving it the feel of a late 19th century volume; it even has a ribbon bookmark! It has a charming look inside as well with wickedly humorous engravings drawn with a delicate hand. Most people know about the hazards of deadly nightshade and monkshood, but who knew that corn and red kidney beans could cause serious illness if not cooked/handled correctly? Not all plants are necessarily hazardous to humans, also included are kudzu, killer algae, as well as plants that will make readers' skin crawl. As my librarian said, creative minds would have a hard time imagining the strangeness of Mother Nature, like silly-string look-a-like parasite dodder. Whether the plants are exploding or oozing, some of them are downright weird. One small complaint: I've always heard that apple seeds and peach pits contain arsenic, but neither are addressed in this volume. This is a book I would love to own and keep on my shelf to refer to when buying new plants or just to read aloud some of the stories to freak out friends and family.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

By It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Exelent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Quite interesting

I guess my garden is a paradise of poisons. Some I knew about, others I did not. I think I will be better at wearing gloves from now on.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not bad

some cool facts and info

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Reference for every mystery novelist

This is the one book that should be on the reference shelf of every suspense, thriller or horror novelist.

In an A to Z such as you have never read before, Stewart lays out the chemical nature of over two hundred plants that can be used to kill, blind, paralyze or at the very least, leave your victim curled up in bed very ill.

From deadly nightshade to killer algae, ratbane to hemlock, Stewart lays it all out on the line. If you want to kill off your victim in some mysterious, painful and particularly nasty way, she has a toxin to get the job done. White Snake root is what does in Mrs. Lincoln (Abe's mother). Known as milk sickness, the plant contaminated folks in the early-farm life of America, often wiping out entire families.

Written in entertaining jargon, hitting on the scientific, the historical and the medicinal, Stewart enlightens us to the use of weeds, plants and seeds and advises to "consider yourself warned".

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved it

Such a wonderful book. Not just straight scientific facts, includes some humor and facts that make you wknder!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

*

Love it!

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Fasinating!

Wonderful facts.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An intriguing read

The book itself is well crafted, a book you'll be proud to have in your collection. Bound in green, with sketches (by Jonathon Rosen) and etchings (by Briony Morrow-Cribbs) of each plant described in exacting detail. A ribbon bookmark to keep your place accentuates the entire package.

The plants are listed in several categories according to toxicity. Deadly,dangerous,illegal,intoxicating,destructive, painful and offensive are the headings for each. Plants are listed in alphabetical order with family, habitat, where they are native to and common names for each. Also noted are plants that fall in the same families (i.e. 'relatives').

'A weed killed Abraham Lincoln's mother. A shrub nearly blinded Frederick Law Olmstead, America's most famous landscape architect. A flowering bulb sickened members of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Poison hemlock killed Socrates, and the most wicked weed of all - tobacco - has claimed over ninety million lives!'

Easy to read in short chapters, followed by a bibliography and related web link information this volume by author Amy Stewart succeeds on several levels. It's informative, intriguing and a darn fun read all the while. Give it a try!!

Amy Stewart Has Hooked Me For Life!

This is a writer who has truly found her own voice. and shares it with us in a way that engages us in subjects we never would have imagined would be so irresistible! She is one of the foremost experts in all things garden-related, and weaves that expertise into a web of engagement, through research, imagination, experience, wit and a superior intellect. This tongue in cheek tome is a combination of botany & history, told with a seductive dark wit that prompts us to read aloud to strangers on the plane! Send us another one, Amy. We can't wait!

A fun book.

If you are a plant nut then this book is for you. This book was fun to read and very interesting. I found out how many poisonous plants I have growing in my own back yard!

quirky, fun, and informative

The urban myth about green potato chips is true! (Well, sort of) I got the book on a whim and enjoyed it. It has a lot of information about all kinds of exotic plants, as well as ones we have in our gardens and on our dinner tables. Very interesting, especially if you're the type of person who likes weird facts.

A witty, enlightening, "must-have" book!!

"Wicked Plants" introduces an utterly fascinating collection of deadly, intoxicating, dangerous, painful, destructive, and offensive plants. Arranged in alphabetical order, each plant listing is accompanied by interesting quotable facts and engaging anecdotes. What an eye opener! I was surprised that many ordinary house and backyard plants can be outright dangerous, causing among other things.skin sores, emesis, paralysis, delirium, and even heart failure. One of the many intriguing anecdotes was about the 1691 Salem witchcraft trials. Cereal grass caused the young Salem girls' bizarre behavior. But unfortunately, 19 people were hung for 'casting spells' on these girls. Most of the listings are further accompanied by exquisite etchings and charming illustrations created by a duo of talented artists. These, in addition to the 'aged' pages and cover, give the book a delightfully eerie, antique, and magical look.

Ms. Stewart is a very gifted writer who has skillfully crafted a creative, well-researched book. With 68,847 people poisoned annually by plants, this enlightening book not only teaches us to have a cautious respect for plants but also does so in a very entertaining format. Now, what about that sub-title "The Weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's Mother and other botanical atrocities?" She got sick from milk and if you want to know how.read this enthralling book! I absolutely loved it! Very highly recommended!

A great little book!

Loved it and just wish I'd taken advantage of when she was in town to get it then and have her sign it! Would have loved a little more depth and some color illustrations. Guess I'll have to hope for an exanded sequal! Great humor, too. Highly recommended for gardeners, cooks, those interested in odd facts, writers - heck, pretty much anyone!

Loved it!

Loved it. Interesting, informarive, scary and funny.

Awesome Book

This is another great book from Amy Stewart. The drawings and detailed etching's were beautiful. My only drawback was that it was to short! Would you please write another one on poison plants but longer?

Great for Writers

As writers, my wife and I found this book to be a treasure of herbiforous tidbits. We have added it to our permanent research library, and hope to put it to good use.

I highly recommend this book for gardeners and nature enthusiasts! I highly recommend this book for gardeners and nature enthusiasts! I highly recommend this book for gardeners and nature enthusiasts!

Amy Stewart documents the bad behavior of naughty botanicals in her "Wicked Plants". This bad behavior ranges in classification from Painful, Illegal, Dangerous and Intoxicating to Deadly. Some will not surprise you, most people know that poison ivy causes a rash, that smoking tobacco can kill you, and that nettles sting. However, did you know that raw cashews can cause the same symptoms as poison ivy? Or that Water Hemlock, one of the most dangerous plants in the US , looks just like a carrot and has a pleasant, sweet taste? This little book is packed full of useful information, fun facts, and interesting historical details. I was fascinated to learn that the Salem Witch Trials were almost certainly caused by a fungus and that Socrates died from drinking a tea made from Poison Hemlock.
The book is beautifully put together. It features 40 intricate and detailed illustrations of plants. A second artist created gruesome and hysterical cartoons showing the consequences of relations with the various naughty plants in the book. Catchy chapter headings like "More Than One Way to Skin a Cat", concise entries, and fascinating anecdotes make this a fun, easy read. I highly recommend this book for gardeners and nature enthusiasts!

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