Wicked Plants

Explore the perilous side of the plant kingdom with a compendium of nature's most infamous botanical creations. This book uncovers the stories of over two hundred plants that possess the power to kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise harm. Discover the history behind the white snakeroot, the weed believed to have killed Abraham Lincoln's mother, alongside accounts of trees that shed poison, seeds that stop the heart, and vines that strangle.

Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this illustrated guide reveals the hidden dangers that can lurk in gardens and wild spaces. It details plants ranging from the illegal to the destructive and the deadly, providing context and facts about their effects and historical roles. This collection of botanical atrocities will entertain, alarm, and enlighten, offering a new perspective on the plants around us.