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    Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
    Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
    Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
    Audiobook4 hours

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

    Written by Amy Stewart

    Narrated by Coleen Marlo

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Beware! The sordid lives of plants behaving badly.

    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. Amy Stewart, bestselling author of Flower Confidential, takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend.

    Stewart renders a vivid portrait of evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, enlighten, and alarm even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 15, 2011
    ISBN9781452672847
    Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
    Author

    Amy Stewart

    AMY STEWART is the New York Times best-selling author of the acclaimed Kopp Sisters series, which began with Girl Waits with Gun. Her seven nonfiction books include The Drunken Botanist and Wicked Plants. She lives in Portland, Oregon. 

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    Reviews for Wicked Plants

    4/5

    406 ratings45 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A very informative, encompassing book about irritants as well as deadly poisonous plants without being overwhelming. This is a wonderful book and I thought I would "re-read" it through Scribd. It was easy to get lost in the scientific names and having a physical copy of the book is much more efficient for learning and digesting vast amounts of information. I really love that history of the plants is talked about with concise detail to dive into further research.
    • 4/5
      a bit more dry then I expected. I was expecting more historical stories, but there was a lot of botanical/scientific name lists that were a bit monotonous, but if you are deeply interested in botany and want to research the plants listed in this book I would recommend it. It may also be more interesting as a read with photos then it was as an audio book. I do not regret listening to it.
    • 4/5
      This is a highly informative and well thought out book that keeps the reader interested with fun little anecdotes.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed reading this book and think it would be a good fit for anyone who likes to gather trivia. Lots of common plants that we see daily are featured here and will make you take a second look at the gorgeous garden next doorl 
    • 5/5
      Such a fun book to read! Amy Stewart's writing style is wonderful and really added to the topic of the book. She captured the notoriousness of these plants and made them come alive with their sinister and evil natures. As a gardener, I was intrigued with the number of toxic plants, all the while, wishing I could actually see one of these plants in real life - save for the poison ivy and stinging nettles. Really clever topic and very witty in it's delivery!
    • 2/5
      Calling plants evil is just ridiculous, also a fair bit of misinformation in this book as well as information that is woefully incomplete or out of date
    • 3/5
      Five stars for the text, which is well written and tells us more about deadly, dangerous, destructive, and annoying plants than we thought we would ever know. One star for the black and white drawings, which while done with skills, are totally inadequate to faithfully represent these plants, which the author describes in great detail, including their often unusual colors and markings. Worth getting from the library, perhaps, but I don't recommend purchasing this one (as I did!)
    • 3/5
      Not what I expected, I thought it was going to historical oddities that involved plants, but it read more like a poisoners textbook. Useful for mystery writers at least, learn about wild plant that are deadly or hallucinogenic.
    • 4/5
      Who knew plants could be so interesting? Stewart takes readers through some of the most deadly plants in existence and includes anecdotes about their impact on historical figures. From the Salem witch trials to ancient Greece, dangerous plants have had a huge impact. Even familiar things like kidney beans or cashews can be dangerous if not properly prepared. To me the biggest take away is that we should never underestimate the power of nature or trust a random leaf or berry that looks edible.
    • 4/5
      A thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating journey through predominantly an American botanical diorama. This looks at poison, offensive and carnivorous plants as well as general irritants. Highly recommended as an introductory text for those with an interest, or those that have an interest in the natural world, poisons or medicine generally.
    • 5/5
      Wicked Plants is organized in a weird way, but very clear in all of its definitions.
    • 4/5
      reference, botany, gardening, poisons A calculated and well researched compendium of poisonous and questionable botanical plants including anecdotal bits about each one and its plant relatives. With some the lethal aspects are in the dosing but with others that isn't true. The plan of chapters is a bit mystifying, but overall it is a reference book with reality tales.Coleen Marlo does a creditable job as narrator.
    • 3/5
      This enjoyable book is a collection encyclopedia-like entries covering infamous plants that can damage, maim, and kill. Amy Stewart introduces her perusal of wicked plants with an introduction that sets the tone for the ensuing materials, in a voice that is humorous and relatable, with words that convey a wary respect. Clearly, Stewart admires the versatility of the plant world and some of the crazy adaptations that abound, but also hopes to educate people on taking plant life more seriously. Don't take hikes in the wood and just eat whatever you see growing on the side of the trail, people! Honestly, after reading this book, I am feeling much more paranoid about the seemingly harmless plants all around me. Not so much for me, since I am not in the habit of eating greenery that doesn't come for the grocery store, as for my young girls. I am also more in awe of the botanical world, which is far more unusual and potent than I had realized. After the introduction, the book is arranged with an alphabetical presentation of nearly forty wicked plants, with each entry providing information on where the plant grows, how it was discovered, how people have used it in different times and places, and any other interesting anecdotes attached to the leafy menace. The description also includes the plant's scientific names and a listing of its relatives, other varieties in the same plant family. These detailed accounts are interspersed with small essays that examine a broader topic, such as plants that are deadly to animals, plants that create hallucinations, and so on. The information is supplemented with fabulous illustrations which sort into two categories: the detailed and realistic depiction of each plant, and the creepy pictures that go along with the intermittent essays. The combination of all these elements creates a quirky package of a book that I adore, with a snarky sense of humor that can run dark at times, factual information delivered in an inviting manner, and a beautiful cover that is perfectly suited to the material. In my mental image of the ideal library, I have vague notions of obscure books that are full of mythology and animal and plant lore, and this little nonfiction book captures a small part of that essential librariness that I dreamed up. Plus it's educational and fun to read. I am quite pleased that I found this treasure on a casual trip to the bookstore.
    • 4/5


      &#9733 &#9733 &#9733 &#9733 1/2

      Like: Wowie!..... What a wonderful little book (and it is Green, just like the plants). Lots of useful information.....

      It corroborated what I keep telling people I know: When I eat spicy hot food, I always want a beer, wine, or margarita because it stops the heat and water makes it worse: "Capsaicin does not dissolve in water.......A good stiff drink is also in order, as the alcohol works as a solvent".... To all my friends: I TOLD YOU SO!

      Raw Cashews are poisonous, so they are semi-cooked when shelling them.... they Steam them open, thus a form of cooking, eating the shell, even a small amount id toxic.

      Nicotine can be deadly absorbed through the skin.....

      So why -1/2 star? Because there were no color pictures, the graphics were well executed pencil drawings.
    • 4/5
      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”.
    • 2/5
      Offers many interesting facts on plants that people may not have realized were poisonous and many interesting stories on the history of these plants. While the line drawings were beautiful, sometimes I would have appreciated an actual photograph to be sure that the author was referring to the plant I thought she was referring to.
    • 4/5
      In Stewart’s book, the author illustrates a ghastly portrait of unsafe plants that may be lurking in your backyard. Who knew we could actually be tilling a poisonous garden? A must read for anyone in close contact with any plant.
    • 4/5
      Wicked Plants is a fascinating collection of facts and anecdotes about plants that are dangerous. The plants are listed alphabetically with the description of the plant features and their dangerous effects. Most listings are accompanied by an interesting story about how the plant has been harmful, and some contain a social history of the plants legality.

      The biggest surprise for me while reading this book was how many common plants, even those we eat, have harmful effects. I learned that cashews, for example, have to be steamed open. If the nut even touches the cashew shell it can cause someone to handles or eats it to break out in a rash. Another is celery, which contains phototoxic compounds.

      "Farm workers and handlers of celery routinely get burns on their skin that show up under sunlight, and people who eat large quantities of celery are at risk as well. One medical journal cited a case of a woman who ate celery root and then went to a tanning booth, ending up with a severe sunburn." Page 96


      The book covers a wide range of plants, from those that are developed into illegal drugs, such as coca (the source of cocaine) to common house and garden plants that are lethal. I was fascinated by the history of the usage of some plants, such as the coca plant and the kola nut, both the original ingredients in Coca-Cola.

      ". . . coca extract is still believed to be a flavoring, just without the cocaine alkaloid. The leaves are legally imported by an American manufacturer, which buys it from Peru's National Coca Company, transforms it into Coca-Cola's secret flavoring, and extracts the cocaine for pharmaceutical use as a topical anesthetic." Page 22


      Each plant has its own small section, making it a book that is easy to pick up and read when you have a few spare moments. I had a hard time stopping myself from pestering my husband with some of the stories because there were so unusual.

      The illustrations were lovely. I am not a plant expert, so I don't think I would actually be able to identify the plants from the monochromatic drawings, but they were nice to look at. There is also a ribbon bookmark built into the book, which I thought was a nice feature.

      If you have any interest in plants, or simply have a morbid curiosity about the many ways that plants can hurt and kill you, then you should love this book.
    • 4/5
      I may never garden, hike or go outside again! Eeeeek! They are out to get us, and I'm not sure how we've survived this long. If you don't get the lesson by the end of this book that it's a bad idea to go on a tasting spree with unknown (and often known) plants, then you never will, and the best of luck to you. On the other hand, this was a compelling read, I thought with each poisonous plant I read about, well, that has to be the worst, the rest can't possibly be as bad as that, then I would read on to find that one of my plant darlings was a horrible serial murderer's tool, and sometimes a willing accomplice! The artwork and illustrations are perfect, the quality of the published book fine. It was a pleasure to hold and turn the pages. In the back of the book she lists botanical gardens which feature wicked plants, and one of them is in the garden of the castle which was used as Hogwarts in the filming of the first two movies. Nice.
    • 2/5
      I found this kind of repetitive and... well, frankly, a little boring. I wanted more stories about real people, on the order of the Lincoln's mom story. There were lots of little informative bits, but not as many anecdotes as I thought I'd be getting. I was also a little skeptical of some of the information, especially on psychedelic plants.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this little volume. It is lighthearted but informative, although not in-depth. It is the sort of book that makes me want to go dig up more information on this topic. I have a "brown thumb" and do not enjoy gardening, and have never had a great affinity for plants, but these are some amazing examples. I am constantly amazed by nature and the bizarre adaptations its plants and animals resort to.I like the quaint design of this book and its companion, Wicked Bugs, as well, but at times I wished for photographs rather than line drawings. Guess that's what I'll have to look for if I ever go digging for more information on wicked plants and bugs!
    • 3/5
      An interesting non-fiction work. It is curious to see how many botanicals in our homes or yars are lethal to people or animals, even ones we have easily within reach. A short book with an unusual topic.
    • 4/5
      fabulous fun read.. visitors to my garden beware..
    • 4/5
      What I learned from this book: All plants want to kill you.
    • 4/5
      Rating: 3.5* of fiveThe Book Report: Bite-sized reports of the horrible horrible scary itchy deadly horrible doings of the Kingdom Plantae. Illustrated with beautiful woodcuts by [[Briony Morrow-Cribbs]], that are, by themselves, worth the price of the book.My Review: I swear I have never bathed so often as when I read this book. Hibiclens, pHisoHex, witch hazel, lavender water...every cleansing agent I possess...applied to every inch of my quite sizable person, at least three or four times for every plant I read about. Even my shoulder hair is falling out from over-washing. (There go the last long, wavy locks I'll ever have....)*Most* satisfyingly, the horrid, nasty, icky-ptoo-ptoo nonfood CORN is included in the book! (Yes it is too: pp38-39...comes in for harsh treatment because the body *can't use it* in kernel form! Take THAT corn-on-the-cobbers! Horrible stuff, corn on the cob. Oughta be banned.)So many awful horrible, itch-inducing theings described in one small place would normally mean stay the heck away from it, but Stewart really does a fine job of making her villains fascinating, if not sympathetic. Hope she writes a novel one day soon.
    • 3/5
      A diverting subject, but the delivery wasn't as entertaining as I expected. It fell on the line between diverting read and reference book. The only thing it needed to be a reference book was an index (which it could have benefited from, because not all the plants mentioned in the book were listed in the table of contents), better pictures (I still don't know what most of the plants look like), and slightly more scientific descriptions. Besides that the anecdotes and little bits of history were interesting and the overall concept was interesting.Snack Lit rating: veggie (pun intended)
    • 4/5
      Could have been exponentially better if only it had had pictures! I kept referring to Wikipedia while reading the book to get an idea of what each plant looked like and where it was usually found, but that gets tiresome.I really love this kind of book. Small blurbs that are just enough to get you interested in looking up more information sometimes... but I don't want to do it for each and every entry!The book is a lot of fun to read. As a fan of books like The Book of Lists and that sort of genre, it's right up my alley. BUT, if there's any book that *needs* pictures more... . Maybe another enhanced edition is possible? I really think that if it had only had pictures, I would be complaining about not being able to give MORE than five stars.
    • 3/5
      Sort of interesting, but not as much so as I had hoped when I heard the author interviewed on the radio.
    • 3/5
      I didn't read this so much as skimmed it and read the more interesting entries. It's a wonderfully morbid book. I now know more about poisonous plants than I ever thought I would.
    • 5/5
      First Line: A tree sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed stops the heart; a shrub causes intolerable pain; a vine intoxicates; a leaf triggers a war. Within the plant kingdom lurk unfathomable evils.If you're the classic "townie" and know nothing about plants or gardening, read this book. You'll be on the receiving end of an enjoyable education. That is, unless you're a Nervous Nellie. Then you may throw out any houseplants you have and refuse to step outside your door.If you're someone like me who grew up weeding the garden, helping her grandmother out in her flowerbeds, or tromping around in the woods, read this book. Unless you have a degree in botanical poisons and trivia, you'll still be on the receiving end of an enjoyable education.I grew up having been taught not to put everything in my mouth. I grew up having been taught that plants weren't always my friends. (Just ask my allergies.) I would also suppose that my penchant for crime fiction might also make me slightly more knowledgeable about the plant kingdom. Regardless of how much I already knew, I learned still more by reading this book.This well-illustrated little volume has been stuffed with knowledge by author Amy Stewart. She includes "over 200 of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend." The short chapters are perfect for dipping into when only a few minutes are available to read, and they are packed with information. Latin names are included, but Stewart uses layman's terms to keep confusion at an absolute minimum.Although I was familiar with many of the plants contained in this volume, I learned tons of fascinating history and trivia. I was also pleased to see that Stewart has been to the one and only poison garden that I have visited: the one at Alnwick Garden. In fact, the cover of Wicked Plants strongly reminds me of the gates to the Poison Garden there.It's easy to learn more about these plants: Stewart has included lists of gardens and additional books for reading in the back. Novice or expert, you're bound to find something of interest in Wicked Plants.