Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore & Magic

by Varla A. Ventura

From Fairy Tales to Your Garden, Enchanted Plants is a illustrated treasure trove to the lore and magic of the kingdom of plants.

Take a walk through mystical, magical, and historical gardens to discover cultivars and edible plants that have captured our hearts and minds for centuries. Will you dare to pick a golden apple or seize the perfect rose? Sneak through the iron gates of the poison garden where the lascivious and life-saving plants intertwine. Gallop through meadow grass, skirt the boggy glen, amble through woodlands where magical plants beckon from the forest floor.
 
Plant lover and lover of the bizarre Varla Ventura brings together forgotten lore with the magic and medicine of plants for the ultimate romp through a botanical wonderland. Includes excerpts from fairy tales and a lively discussion of each plant’s magical and medicinal properties. Enchanted Plants is arranged by general environment, such as cultivated plants and edibles; toxic plants; meadowlands; the woods; marshes and swamps; and tropical plants. Each chapter contains a cultivated selection of plants, arranged alphabetically by popular common name, with additional information including botanical name, additional “common” names, folklore, ethnobotanical properties, magical and occult properties, and modern usage, if applicable.

Genres: Nonfiction, Plants, Nature, Folklore, Magic, Gardening

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2025

Reviews

[MKF · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book is the artwork.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A really good book that catalogues various plants one might find, and gives all sorts of scientific and health information about them. Then it gives all sorts of information about reputed magical powers, and links to fairy tales.

If this is the sort of thing that interests you, definitely get it.

[Brooke Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated book about "magical" plants, including their healing properties, and any lore/legends/fairytales relating to them. Northern Hemisphere specific, but still a lovely and interesting book.

[Phoenix · Rating 1 out of 5]

My complaint is about the artworks, I have not read the book and I’m not planning to.

This book is an AI slop. The “beautiful” artworks of this book are AI generated. I took a glance at this book at my local library and I recognized the AI slop right away and I’m not a botanist. Some of the artworks, the branches are not connected to the main one, they’re just floating in the air. The mandrake has leaves on its roots! I’m sure there are more inconsistencies but those stood out to me.

I checked the credits page and the artworks are commissioned on Creative Market. I did some research and this artist they hired does not hide the fact that they used AI.

Don’t buy this book. Don’t support AI slop. There are a lot of books about plants with beautiful artworks out there.
This is an insult to botanical arts.

[Kelly Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love books, plants, folklore, and magic, Enchanted Plants, by Varla A. Ventura, is for you! I fell in love with the book’s gorgeous cover and gilded pages the moment I laid eyes on it, and what awaited me when I opened the cover was anything but a disappointment. Varla A. Ventura begins by revealing that she has always been able to hear the voices of plants. She describes her conversations with foliage as “suspended somewhere between audible and inaudible,” situating them in the same liminal spaces where we find fairy tales. She then begins her exploration of botanicals, beginning with the much loved apple and progressing all the way through to the melancholy willow. Each entry in the book features a stunning portrait of the fruit or flower, a quotation drawn from literary study, an encyclopedia reference of medicinal and magical properties, and a collection of lore combining the author’s personal experiences with her knowledge about myth, legend, and fairy tale.

Enchanted Plants is divided into enticing chapters including The Apple Doesn’t Fall Too Far (A Queen’s Garden of Cultivars and Edible Delights), The Cottage Garden of Earthly Delights (Humble Foods in Story and Legend), The Witch’s Garden (What Doesn’t Kill You Makes Your Heart Grow Stronger), Among the Fields and Valleys (Wildflowers, Meadowlands, and Other Things to Gather), The Woods Are Lovely, Dark, and Deep (Trees, Shrubs, and Woodland Dwellers), and The Marsh King’s Daughter (Plants that Grow Near Streams, Bogs, Lakes, and the Sea). Following the chapters is an Index of Botanicals and a list of Recommended Resources for those hoping to learn more. This beautiful book can be enjoyed in small doses, but I found myself falling into its pages and reading for hours. Although I have never had a green thumb, I was delighted by the illustrations of plants, fruits, and flowers, and thoroughly enjoyed learning about their folklore. Ventura’s riveting prose walked me through tales I have studied and introduced me to stories I had never known. I especially loved her thoughtful selection and presentation of quotations taken from literature, poetry, and nursery rhyme. Each lyric perfectly complimented the plant, using its linguistic magic to evoke the beauty of the botanical being explored.

This is a book you need to see in person. Enchanted Plants is a jewel that will grace any home library, and I plan to revisit the book often in my own writing and teaching research. If you are interested in learning more about the botanical world and the lore it has inspired, purchase a copy of this book today! It would be a wonderful gift for yourself or for someone you love.

[Rebecca Elson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet's website on 04/02/2025.

I’ve missed Varla Ventura. I am fortunate enough to have received many of her books to review and every time I’m delighted with what I read. It’s why despite not being a big nature lover I jumped at the chance to review her latest book “Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore and Magic.”

I was surprised to see Ventura writing about plants. I always pictured her as more of an occult oddities and creatures kind of author. Little did I know that Ventura once ran a plant nursery as well as operated her own landscaping business! However, don’t let that mundane seeming bit of background fool you, “Enchanted Plants” is a luscious, greenery-soaked treat.

This book isn’t encyclopedic, it is a curated mix of plants that have inspired the author. Ventura’s love of the magical and mystical plant world shows in the titles of the six chapters: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Too Far: A Queen’s Garden of Cultivars and Edible Delights, The Cottage Garden of Earthly Delights: Humble Foods in Story and Legend, The Witch’s Garden: What Doesn’t Kill You Makes Your Heart Grow Stronger, Among the Fields and Valleys: Wildflowers, Meadowlands, and Other Things to Gather, The Woods Are Lovely, Dark, and Deep: Trees, Shrubs, and Woodland Dwellers, and The Marsh King’s Daughter: Plants That Grow Near Streams, Bogs, Lakes, and the Sea. The language she uses while discussing the practical, folkloric, and mystical sides to these plants truly makes for a pleasurable read.

Also, I need to address the format. “Enchanted Plants” is hardcover, with gold gilded paper edges and a built in fabric bookmark. It’s filled with beautiful full color illustrations. Varla Ventura’s “Enchanted Plants” is truly a feast for the senses.

[Jaclyn Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love books that feel alive in your hands, Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore & Magic by Varla A. Ventura is one of those treasures. This isn’t just a plant book, it’s a love letter to the green world.

Ventura beautifully weaves together the Medicinal and Magickal uses of plants, giving just enough practical insight to spark curiosity before leading you into a rich, immersive dive into the lore, myths, and legends that surround each one. Every page feels like stepping into an old story whispered through leaves, petals and roots.

What truly sets this book apart is how timeless it feels. While grounded in history and folklore, it never feels dusty or distant—its wisdom clearly belongs in the modern world. The historical knowledge naturally translates into contemporary Plant Craft, or Green Magick, making the practices feel relevant, accessible, and alive more than ever.

Enchanted Plants reminds you that plant Magick has always evolved alongside humanity, and that connection is still very much within reach. It’s a book you don’t just read—you return to it, again and again just as you would a beloved garden or forest.

[Can Dragons Read? · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a plant lover, I found this to be such an interesting and fun read. There was so many plants I hadn't heard of or knew very little about, and it was really cool to learn more of the scientific and health aspects of them. It was also a really whimsical touch to add their links to fairytales. The illustrations were BEAUTIFUL!!!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful as well as informative book about the role of plants in folklore and magic. Full of beautiful illustrations and interesting stories. A wonderful book to read after working in the garden!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully designed book. Most of the information I had heard before.

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting information but much I already knew but I found some of the fonts and type size were small and hard to read. Wonderfully illustrated.

[Laura Kirton · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a good concept, but the illustrations are clearly AI generated and the text doesn't always feel 100% human written either.

[Laurelle Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun beautiful book full of mystery, old stories and descriptions of tales of yore. Highly recommend this book.

[Kat (kvcatnip) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The place where botany, herbalism, folklore, and magical practices meet in one book. This has become one of my most prized books, as well as one of my most referenced and recommended.