Amy Stewart

A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. In Wicked Plants, Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature’s most appalling creations. It’s an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. You’ll learn which plants to avoid (like exploding shrubs), which plants make themselves exceedingly unwelcome (like the vine that ate the South), and which ones have been killing for centuries (like the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's mother). Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.

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

Wicked Plants

Colleen

4 Stars
 
Most people don’t give much thought to plants. The bouquets given out of social obligation, the neglected fichus in the corner of the office, the amorphous green background of dream vacations. Plants are all around us, but we hardly notice them. They feed us and clean our air, but we take them for granted. Mother Nature gives us breathtaking beauty, but she can also be devious and deadly. We assume that man is so intelligent and indomitable that some little plants are nothing to worry about. Wicked Plants: the weed that killed Lincoln’s mother & other botanical atrocities not only lists dangerous plants but also explores some of the way plants have influenced history.
 
It’s a short and informative book although the information is very surface level. There are only two or three pages per entry with some of the entries listing similar plants. Each has a nice illustration of the plant, a description of the plant, its habitat, and related plants, and some interesting historical events involving that plant. I liked the historical tie-ins the best. From diabolical poison plots to accidental deaths, plants have played a bigger role in history than many people realize. From Mussolini torturing prisoners with castor oil to Germany’s 1516 Bavarian Purity Law stopping people from putting henbane in beer to Hannibal’s use of Mandrake in one of the first recorded instance of biochemical warfare, plants have been used in many ways throughout history.
 
However, the teaser phrase “Botanical Atrocities” is a stretch. Some of the plants included were certainly deadly and have been used in many dastardly ways. But others were merely bothersome or unusual rather than lethal. But I enjoyed looking at botany through an anthropological lens.
 
This book wouldn’t be helpful to a botanist, but it would be a useful reference if you were writing a murder mystery or if you just have a passing interest in odd knowledge. I can’t wait to make people’s eyes glaze over by mentioning some of the interesting little tidbits I learned from Wicked Plants. After all, not everyone will find this as interesting as I did.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Originality: 3 Stars
Attention to Details: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Objectivity: 3 Stars

Alizee

Very interesting and accessible to all. I’m unfortunately not gifted with plants, and it’s kind of fun to learn about the most wicked of them all - and there are plenty.

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

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