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Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants
Discover the folklore and history of our most toxic plants through this beautifully produced, gorgeously illustrated compendium.
“If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
In both history and fiction, some of the most dramatic, notorious deaths have been through poisonings. Concealed and deliberate, it’s a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected. And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: the difference lies only in the dosage! In Botanical Curses and Poisons, Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating, untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants, witching herbs, and funghi. Going from A to Z, she covers everything from apple (think of the poisoned fruit in “Snow White”) and the hallucinogenic angel’s trumpet to laurel, which emits toxic fumes, to oleander (a deadly ornamental shrub), with each plant beautifully illustrated by the author herself. This enthralling treasury is packed with insight, lore, and the revealed mysteries of everyday flora—including the prevalence of poisoning in ancient Rome, its use in religion and magic, and common antidotes—making this perfect for gardeners, writers, folklorists, witches, and scientists alike!
“If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
In both history and fiction, some of the most dramatic, notorious deaths have been through poisonings. Concealed and deliberate, it’s a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected. And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: the difference lies only in the dosage! In Botanical Curses and Poisons, Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating, untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants, witching herbs, and funghi. Going from A to Z, she covers everything from apple (think of the poisoned fruit in “Snow White”) and the hallucinogenic angel’s trumpet to laurel, which emits toxic fumes, to oleander (a deadly ornamental shrub), with each plant beautifully illustrated by the author herself. This enthralling treasury is packed with insight, lore, and the revealed mysteries of everyday flora—including the prevalence of poisoning in ancient Rome, its use in religion and magic, and common antidotes—making this perfect for gardeners, writers, folklorists, witches, and scientists alike!
257 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
317 people are currently reading
6329 people want to read
About the author
Fez Inkwright
5 books75 followersIllustrator. Folklorist, botanist. Author of Folk Magic & Healing, and Botanical Curses & Poisons. Owner of CrowCrownStudio
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
November 4, 2023
Whatever the answer to "How many books on poison can one person have before becoming creepy?" is, I have more books than that. An entire shelf full, actually, with everything from the organic chemistry of how poisonous plants work (Plants That Kill), toxicology, medical plant guides, several histories, and even a short, independently published poisoner's handbook. I've had an unhealthy fascination with poisons for a long time, especially poisonous plants, and especially the ones I work with. So when I saw this one, it hopped into my cart because a) it was very pretty; and b) it's a book that goes with other books in my collection.
Botanical Curses and Poisons is very pretty. I love the Art Nouveau stylized cover (it's not a dustjacket, it's embossed directly on the hardcover like the Penguin Classics series) and fancy endpapers. The internal illustrations that include chapter headings and line drawings of the plants in question are beautiful as well. The content is sorted alphabetically by plant and includes quite a lot of folklore and history that I haven't come across previously. There are also some plants that are new to me like the gas plant (Dictamnus albus) that produces flammable oils and causes its immediate vicinity to catch fire easily. Fez Inkwright touches upon lots of different cultures (such as trial by poison in India and West Africa - which maybe goes to show that humans are bad at justice all over the planet) that are typically overlooked in books on poisonous plants. There's mention of allelopathy! Yep, plants poison each other. They're not as nice as they look.
BUT. I really, really wish this book had gone through a couple of knowledgeable fact checkers before being published. Once I came across one statement that I knew to be inaccurate, I found myself wondering how many other inaccuracies there were in the book that I didn't have the knowledge to catch. Maybe this book isn't meant to be a definitive resource - and it definitely does historical tidbits better than it does organic chemistry - but a statement like "The only member of the amanita family that is not necessarily fatal is also the one that has become the most recognised of our fungi [the fly agaric]" is just demonstrably not true. Experienced foragers (not I!) eat certain Amanita species (e.g. A. coccora in N. America, A. caesarea in Europe) safely and find them delicious, and if even I know that as a mushroom novice, why doesn't Fez Inkwright?
I suspect there's a bit of original research in here. Under the entry for Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): "[I]n Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus carried this plant to protect himself from Circe's wiles while staying on Aeaea." That is a very interesting assignment of moly to a real species, and not one I've heard before. Surely it's not an assumption someone made because the names sound alike in English?
I'm also slightly peeved about the omission of western poison oak in the section on Toxicodendron species. Inkwright says poison oak is T. pubescens ("due to its hairy leaves"), which is true if you're in the south (Atlantic poison oak), but for a wide swath of the west, poison oak is the hairless and wicked T. diversilobum. These are two different species, and you will be very, very sad if you think staying away from fuzzy plants in California will keep you safe.
It puzzled me a bit that a completely non-toxic plant like Camellia japonica was included (for its association with death) but castor bean (Ricinus communis, producer of ricin and exceedingly unpleasant deaths) was not. Oh well. I have other books that go into great detail about how ricin shuts down protein synthesis in your cells.
As an already avid poisonous plant connoisseur, I don't think I was quite the right audience for this book. It's like a longer and more in-depth version of Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities, which I also own but rarely look at. I'll probably hang on to my copy because it looks so nice next to my other poison books, but I'm a little disappointed in the contents.
Botanical Curses and Poisons is very pretty. I love the Art Nouveau stylized cover (it's not a dustjacket, it's embossed directly on the hardcover like the Penguin Classics series) and fancy endpapers. The internal illustrations that include chapter headings and line drawings of the plants in question are beautiful as well. The content is sorted alphabetically by plant and includes quite a lot of folklore and history that I haven't come across previously. There are also some plants that are new to me like the gas plant (Dictamnus albus) that produces flammable oils and causes its immediate vicinity to catch fire easily. Fez Inkwright touches upon lots of different cultures (such as trial by poison in India and West Africa - which maybe goes to show that humans are bad at justice all over the planet) that are typically overlooked in books on poisonous plants. There's mention of allelopathy! Yep, plants poison each other. They're not as nice as they look.
BUT. I really, really wish this book had gone through a couple of knowledgeable fact checkers before being published. Once I came across one statement that I knew to be inaccurate, I found myself wondering how many other inaccuracies there were in the book that I didn't have the knowledge to catch. Maybe this book isn't meant to be a definitive resource - and it definitely does historical tidbits better than it does organic chemistry - but a statement like "The only member of the amanita family that is not necessarily fatal is also the one that has become the most recognised of our fungi [the fly agaric]" is just demonstrably not true. Experienced foragers (not I!) eat certain Amanita species (e.g. A. coccora in N. America, A. caesarea in Europe) safely and find them delicious, and if even I know that as a mushroom novice, why doesn't Fez Inkwright?
I suspect there's a bit of original research in here. Under the entry for Great Mullein (Verbascum thapsus): "[I]n Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus carried this plant to protect himself from Circe's wiles while staying on Aeaea." That is a very interesting assignment of moly to a real species, and not one I've heard before. Surely it's not an assumption someone made because the names sound alike in English?
I'm also slightly peeved about the omission of western poison oak in the section on Toxicodendron species. Inkwright says poison oak is T. pubescens ("due to its hairy leaves"), which is true if you're in the south (Atlantic poison oak), but for a wide swath of the west, poison oak is the hairless and wicked T. diversilobum. These are two different species, and you will be very, very sad if you think staying away from fuzzy plants in California will keep you safe.
It puzzled me a bit that a completely non-toxic plant like Camellia japonica was included (for its association with death) but castor bean (Ricinus communis, producer of ricin and exceedingly unpleasant deaths) was not. Oh well. I have other books that go into great detail about how ricin shuts down protein synthesis in your cells.
As an already avid poisonous plant connoisseur, I don't think I was quite the right audience for this book. It's like a longer and more in-depth version of Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities, which I also own but rarely look at. I'll probably hang on to my copy because it looks so nice next to my other poison books, but I'm a little disappointed in the contents.
December 21, 2021
In this book, we enter the rich and mysterious world of poisonous plants.
There is a short introduction, but after this the book consists of an alphabetical compendium of plants. The author offers up science, history, and myth alike - I especially enjoyed the poetry that prefaced most of the entries. I found the writing very accessible and informative.
The narrator has a soothing voice and does a good job of keeping the listener's interest. She did seem to have a little difficulty on the pronunciation of some non-English words though.
However, I think print suits this book better than audio, as that way you can use it as a reference book.
Overall, an interesting and informative reference book that I would be interested to see in other formats.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
There is a short introduction, but after this the book consists of an alphabetical compendium of plants. The author offers up science, history, and myth alike - I especially enjoyed the poetry that prefaced most of the entries. I found the writing very accessible and informative.
The narrator has a soothing voice and does a good job of keeping the listener's interest. She did seem to have a little difficulty on the pronunciation of some non-English words though.
However, I think print suits this book better than audio, as that way you can use it as a reference book.
Overall, an interesting and informative reference book that I would be interested to see in other formats.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
December 28, 2021
Un libro que combina la botánica y las leyendas: eso es Botanical curses and poisons. Un deleite para los que amamos ambas cosas. El libro está plagado de datos científicos e históricos sobre las plantas, pero también de cuestiones más ligadas a la fantasía y a la superstición. Tuve la oportunidad de escuchar una copia avanzada del audiolibro gracias a la editorial, y fue una experiencia única: la narradora es estupenda, su voz es hipnótica y muy acorde al libro.
September 19, 2024
This book had me "spell-bound". It is not merely an herbal full of hocus-pocus. The author, "Fez Inkwright", also includes legends that people believed and acted upon throughout the ages. One of the most disturbing is that the Celts of Britain used their firmly held belief in the existence of fairies to commit infanticide. Many people believed that fairies would exchange thier own babies for human ones. The parents were especially suspicious if the baby was born with a deformity. To test for fairy genes, two drops each of foxglove oil (digitalis) were put in the baby's two ears and mouth. If it survived until morning it was human; if not, well...
Many herbs can be used for good OR evil. It depends on the dosage. As written above, digitalis can be a poison but can also save someone during a heart attack. Same with willow. Too much willow can kill someone but it also lessens pain. In the 1800's manufacturers studied the chemical structure of willow and began making aspirin using their discoveries. I found this all very enlightening and the author is an excellent explainer and teacher. This book includes footnotes, a bibliograpy and books for further reading.
Many herbs can be used for good OR evil. It depends on the dosage. As written above, digitalis can be a poison but can also save someone during a heart attack. Same with willow. Too much willow can kill someone but it also lessens pain. In the 1800's manufacturers studied the chemical structure of willow and began making aspirin using their discoveries. I found this all very enlightening and the author is an excellent explainer and teacher. This book includes footnotes, a bibliograpy and books for further reading.
October 16, 2025
Ceļvedis indīgo augu pasaulē. Katram auga aprakstam klāt nākt ne tikai kāds stāstījums par auga nozīmi dažādās kultūrās, bet arī skaists zīmējums. Nezināju, ka hortenzijās ir neliels cianīda sastāvs. Viela pārdomām.
February 26, 2021
At a fundamental level, we are all sustained by plants, either from the oxygen they supply or from the food they can provide or by using them to build shelters. But we would be foolish to think of them as passive lifeforms that can accept being munched by any passing animal. They have developed sophisticated defences to stop them from disappearing down the gullet of a herbivore. These defences can vary from the spiked leaves, sour-tasting stems all the way to the utterly lethal parts of some plants that can kill an animal in a short space of time.
People have learnt the very hard way over time immemorial which plants are safe and which are deadly. People have used this plant knowledge too for all sorts of nefarious dealings too, planning a murder using the poisons from a plant requires careful and deliberate preparation. Yet some of these plants have a very grey line between medicine and toxin and knowing what plant is capable of what normally needs an expert.
Some of these I know from childhood, I remember being told very sternly that I must never ever touch the glistening berries of the Deadly Nightshade that I used to see growing down the lane near my house. I grew to learn which plants could hurt when you fell off your bike into them and even contemplating touching a mushroom was forbidden. Thankfully in this beautiful book by Fez Inkwright, the knowledge of which plants to avoid has been brought bang up to date.
It is an A to Z list and begins with the most unlikely of fruits, the apple. It is here for good reason though, the pips in every apple contain cyanide. There is not enough in any apple that you are eating to be deadly, however, it has been found that it could leech out when apples are crushed to make cider. The apple has been used in literature to represent a deadly fruit as well as having associations with the dead and various enchantments. It is not the only fruit I here, there are sections about sloes and the blackthorn, peppers and walnuts. There are plants that I expected to find within, such as hellebore, wolfsbane and hemlock.
Unexpected additions to this list were plants such as broad beans, hydrangea, willow and even basil. There are some truly deadly additions to this list including one that is highly restricted under the terrorism act in the UK. As well as the plants that will make your life much shorter and painful, Inkwright has included plants that have been used in folklore to curse others, such as elder, hellebore and willow.
As grim as its subject material is, Inkwright has written a fascinating book on this subject. I have read other weighty tomes on plant folklore, and whilst it isn’t as comprehensive as some others, it is well written and full of fascinating details and anecdotes. A lot of that knowledge in here has been lost as the current generation has retreated to stare at the screens that dominate our lives now days. Definitely worth reading for those that have a passing interest in the subject and has more depth (and a decent bibliography) for those that were to explore this subject more. There is also a poison garden that is up in Northumbria (here) for those that want to really get to know their subject.
People have learnt the very hard way over time immemorial which plants are safe and which are deadly. People have used this plant knowledge too for all sorts of nefarious dealings too, planning a murder using the poisons from a plant requires careful and deliberate preparation. Yet some of these plants have a very grey line between medicine and toxin and knowing what plant is capable of what normally needs an expert.
Some of these I know from childhood, I remember being told very sternly that I must never ever touch the glistening berries of the Deadly Nightshade that I used to see growing down the lane near my house. I grew to learn which plants could hurt when you fell off your bike into them and even contemplating touching a mushroom was forbidden. Thankfully in this beautiful book by Fez Inkwright, the knowledge of which plants to avoid has been brought bang up to date.
It is an A to Z list and begins with the most unlikely of fruits, the apple. It is here for good reason though, the pips in every apple contain cyanide. There is not enough in any apple that you are eating to be deadly, however, it has been found that it could leech out when apples are crushed to make cider. The apple has been used in literature to represent a deadly fruit as well as having associations with the dead and various enchantments. It is not the only fruit I here, there are sections about sloes and the blackthorn, peppers and walnuts. There are plants that I expected to find within, such as hellebore, wolfsbane and hemlock.
Unexpected additions to this list were plants such as broad beans, hydrangea, willow and even basil. There are some truly deadly additions to this list including one that is highly restricted under the terrorism act in the UK. As well as the plants that will make your life much shorter and painful, Inkwright has included plants that have been used in folklore to curse others, such as elder, hellebore and willow.
As grim as its subject material is, Inkwright has written a fascinating book on this subject. I have read other weighty tomes on plant folklore, and whilst it isn’t as comprehensive as some others, it is well written and full of fascinating details and anecdotes. A lot of that knowledge in here has been lost as the current generation has retreated to stare at the screens that dominate our lives now days. Definitely worth reading for those that have a passing interest in the subject and has more depth (and a decent bibliography) for those that were to explore this subject more. There is also a poison garden that is up in Northumbria (here) for those that want to really get to know their subject.
April 5, 2022
Med-evil history of poisonous plants and fungi. I listened to the audiobook, but apparently the physical copy is beautifully laid out—sad I missed that.
3,75
High rating mostly because of emotional connection to the narrator. (I listened to this when i was tired or emotionally exhausted, so over time we kinda (one-sidedly) bonded.)
The content was really cool at times—fairies, witches, rituals—but also boring because it’s also filled with unknown plants that the knowledge of which doesn’t suit me.
3,75
High rating mostly because of emotional connection to the narrator. (I listened to this when i was tired or emotionally exhausted, so over time we kinda (one-sidedly) bonded.)
The content was really cool at times—fairies, witches, rituals—but also boring because it’s also filled with unknown plants that the knowledge of which doesn’t suit me.
September 16, 2024
I learned so much from this book. I loved the cover. I loved the stories and poems and songs that mention the plant to start each chapter. I loved the illustrations. And if you read advice from Maude Grieves, run far far away.
December 22, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.
Have you ever wondered about the history behind poisonous plants? What about how they have been used throughout history for murder or even medicine before fully understood? Look no further than Botanical Curses and Poisons.
Filled with information as well as stories this novel presents a nice balance into the past of these plants. There are many more than I knew of and learning how some were used in plots and executions was very interesting. The narrator did a great job reading through these plants alphabetically, but knowing there are so many poisonous plants out there(or which I don't know how to identify) has definitely made me feel less prepared for an apocalypse.
Not a novel for those who aren't truly interested about the plants and are just looking for stories, but for those who are curious about plants will be pleasently surprised to have little history facts sprinkled in.
Have you ever wondered about the history behind poisonous plants? What about how they have been used throughout history for murder or even medicine before fully understood? Look no further than Botanical Curses and Poisons.
Filled with information as well as stories this novel presents a nice balance into the past of these plants. There are many more than I knew of and learning how some were used in plots and executions was very interesting. The narrator did a great job reading through these plants alphabetically, but knowing there are so many poisonous plants out there(or which I don't know how to identify) has definitely made me feel less prepared for an apocalypse.
Not a novel for those who aren't truly interested about the plants and are just looking for stories, but for those who are curious about plants will be pleasently surprised to have little history facts sprinkled in.
December 6, 2021
[7.00/10]
Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants was a wonderful blend of folklore, facts and coziness. I grew up surrounded by the stories that plants tell us. Almost every single person in my immediate family is a keen gardener and instilled that love within me at a very young age. I finally got my own garden for the first time this year so my obsession only continues to grow and this book was such a wonderful way to finish of my first full year of tending my garden throughout all seasons. That is not to say that I'm intending to grow poisonous plants, but it's always good to know what to avoid.
The folklore elements in this book really brought it alive, beyond what I had anticipated and I really liked that it didn't just focus on the "celebrity" plants (as I described them to my mum when I told her I was reading this.) There was a lot focus on the folklore surrounding herbs, which I had no idea about and I found these parts really interesting and educational.
The thing I enjoyed most about this book is that it wasn't just a dull list, there was a lot of personality and passion injected into each alphabetical entry and I can imagine that the accompanying images in the physical book really help to bring it alive even more. I am going to purchase the physical copy of this book for that reason alone.
The audiobook was fine, however I found the mispronunciation of certain British and European words/places a bit distracting. I can't speak to the pronunciation of the non-western influences though. That aside, I thought the narrator did a good job of keeping the right engaging and lighthearted tone throughout. I think perhaps that the full experience of this book is lost a little through listening to the audiobook rather than reading it because you don't get to see the illustrations. It would be good if there was an accompanying PDF that allowed for further immersion.
Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants was a wonderful blend of folklore, facts and coziness. I grew up surrounded by the stories that plants tell us. Almost every single person in my immediate family is a keen gardener and instilled that love within me at a very young age. I finally got my own garden for the first time this year so my obsession only continues to grow and this book was such a wonderful way to finish of my first full year of tending my garden throughout all seasons. That is not to say that I'm intending to grow poisonous plants, but it's always good to know what to avoid.
The folklore elements in this book really brought it alive, beyond what I had anticipated and I really liked that it didn't just focus on the "celebrity" plants (as I described them to my mum when I told her I was reading this.) There was a lot focus on the folklore surrounding herbs, which I had no idea about and I found these parts really interesting and educational.
The thing I enjoyed most about this book is that it wasn't just a dull list, there was a lot of personality and passion injected into each alphabetical entry and I can imagine that the accompanying images in the physical book really help to bring it alive even more. I am going to purchase the physical copy of this book for that reason alone.
The audiobook was fine, however I found the mispronunciation of certain British and European words/places a bit distracting. I can't speak to the pronunciation of the non-western influences though. That aside, I thought the narrator did a good job of keeping the right engaging and lighthearted tone throughout. I think perhaps that the full experience of this book is lost a little through listening to the audiobook rather than reading it because you don't get to see the illustrations. It would be good if there was an accompanying PDF that allowed for further immersion.
January 24, 2022
NetGalley ARC.
I enjoyed this nonfiction historical book about poisonous plants and their archaic meanings/uses/purposes. I found it incredibly interesting that "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" was actually mistranslated and should have been "poisoner." That changes things! But the mistranslation of "witch" brought on all the witch hunts over the centuries. Damn!! The narrator did a good job. This was my second nonfiction poison book and no, I'm not doing research. lol.
I enjoyed this nonfiction historical book about poisonous plants and their archaic meanings/uses/purposes. I found it incredibly interesting that "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" was actually mistranslated and should have been "poisoner." That changes things! But the mistranslation of "witch" brought on all the witch hunts over the centuries. Damn!! The narrator did a good job. This was my second nonfiction poison book and no, I'm not doing research. lol.
March 17, 2025
this was fun. very interesting
June 26, 2023
people kept on questioning me if i was planning murder…
January 5, 2022
So, I listened to the audiobook, and this is a bit like having the plant dictionary/encyclopedia read to you. But I used to read encyclopedias as a kid so that’s just fine.
It’s full of fun facts - some of which are only barely tangential to the plants but show amazing depth: “do not suffer a witch…” is an abusive overreach in translation of the original Torah! It is closer to “do not suffer a poisoner to live amongst you.” Really just a lot of interesting, fun stuff. I almost wanted to take notes. Do you know a gardener who likes murder shows? They’ll enjoy this. Unless they’re like, you know, your nemesis. Then, do not.
It’s full of fun facts - some of which are only barely tangential to the plants but show amazing depth: “do not suffer a witch…” is an abusive overreach in translation of the original Torah! It is closer to “do not suffer a poisoner to live amongst you.” Really just a lot of interesting, fun stuff. I almost wanted to take notes. Do you know a gardener who likes murder shows? They’ll enjoy this. Unless they’re like, you know, your nemesis. Then, do not.
March 30, 2023
Fantastic book, now i want my own hardcopy
August 23, 2021
https://www.bookwormblues.net/2021/08...
I’m a big gardener, and I’m also a fantasy author. When I started writing one of my current works in progress, I realized that after the pandemic and health issues and all the emotional upheaval and stress from that, I wanted to write a book that was maybe a bit softer, with a magic system that paid homage to the plant world that I love so much. But I didn’t really want a “kitchen witch” feel to the magic. I wanted something else entirely. I settled on a “flower magic” system.
The problem is, I don’t really grow flowers. I have an absolutely huge garden, but “flowers” is not really part of it. I grow vegetables and fruits, and a lot of them come from all around the world, but I don’t really grow flowers. So I knew when I set out to write this book that I needed to get books about flowers, and about the specific parts of them I need for this magic system.
Upon my search for books that fit what I needed, I ran across this one. It wasn’t really what I needed for my writing research, but it looked interesting so I sort of shrugged and added it to my cart.
Reader, it was probably one of the best random decisions I’ve made in a while. This book was fantastic.
I’ve always been a bit drawn to the darker side of things. Darker aspects of history, of the world itself. When I saw Botanical Curses and Poisons, I knew it was the book for me. It isn’t terribly long, but it is nonfiction, so I worried I was in for a textbook-style dissertation on the chemical compounds of… or something like that. However, I really blew through this book pretty quickly, as I discovered the topic was not only really interesting, but written in an incredibly accessible manner, along with simple drawings that illuminate rather than distract from the information being given.
There’s a bit of an introduction section, and then the book goes through a bunch of plants alphabetically, talking about myths involved with them, or how they were used throughout history. I was hugely surprised by nearly every plant listed in this book, and just how they have been used for some pretty major parts of history, like how hellebore was used to turn the tide of a pretty major historical battle, for example, or how the nectar of the angel’s trumpet flowers were used by Victorian women at teatime to get a bit drunk. Mint is even mentioned, not because it’s a poison, but because of the mythology of the plant.
Inkwrite takes readers on a historical and educational journey throughout the history of plants, using many of them to showcase not just their properties, but how they have been used, and their darker capabilities. And yet it was the accessible nature of his writing that captivated me almost as much as anything else. I was afraid when I bought this book that it would be full of academic jargon and heavy textbook-style prose that would put me to sleep, but what I got here were overviews of countless plants and their stories told in a style that I found surprisingly immersive rather than anything else. Added along with the line drawings in each section, and I was hooked. Plus, I must say, the production quality of this book is out of this world. I don’t typically buy physical books anymore, but this is absolutely one I’m glad I bought. It’s just gorgeous, from cover to cover.
While each plant does get an overview of history, mythology, and the like, it is just an overview. Important information is given, and I used many of these bits of what I learned as I read to give me jumping-off points for further reading. IE: I went on many an internet deep dive doing research to learn more about these plants after I read about them. For this reason, I will say, this is a book best savored rather than devoured. There’s a ton of information here, but if you’re like me, you’ll be, “Oh, that’s interesting, I want to learn more” google searching as you read. It’ll slow your progress down a bit, but that’s okay, because this is one of those books that is best savored. It’s just, quite frankly, that good.
I was surprised by most of this book. Some of these things I already knew, but even in the plants I read about that I thought I knew about, I learned unexpected things, whether it was mythology or historical usage or maybe a bit of both. It ended up being, quite frankly, one of the most illuminating plant books I’ve ever read. The accessible prose and the subject matter combined to create a book I both couldn’t put down and couldn’t stop thinking about.
I don’t know if you’re a plant person like I am, but if you are, I highly suggest giving this book a read. It ended up being one of the highlights of my reading year so far.
I’m a big gardener, and I’m also a fantasy author. When I started writing one of my current works in progress, I realized that after the pandemic and health issues and all the emotional upheaval and stress from that, I wanted to write a book that was maybe a bit softer, with a magic system that paid homage to the plant world that I love so much. But I didn’t really want a “kitchen witch” feel to the magic. I wanted something else entirely. I settled on a “flower magic” system.
The problem is, I don’t really grow flowers. I have an absolutely huge garden, but “flowers” is not really part of it. I grow vegetables and fruits, and a lot of them come from all around the world, but I don’t really grow flowers. So I knew when I set out to write this book that I needed to get books about flowers, and about the specific parts of them I need for this magic system.
Upon my search for books that fit what I needed, I ran across this one. It wasn’t really what I needed for my writing research, but it looked interesting so I sort of shrugged and added it to my cart.
Reader, it was probably one of the best random decisions I’ve made in a while. This book was fantastic.
I’ve always been a bit drawn to the darker side of things. Darker aspects of history, of the world itself. When I saw Botanical Curses and Poisons, I knew it was the book for me. It isn’t terribly long, but it is nonfiction, so I worried I was in for a textbook-style dissertation on the chemical compounds of… or something like that. However, I really blew through this book pretty quickly, as I discovered the topic was not only really interesting, but written in an incredibly accessible manner, along with simple drawings that illuminate rather than distract from the information being given.
There’s a bit of an introduction section, and then the book goes through a bunch of plants alphabetically, talking about myths involved with them, or how they were used throughout history. I was hugely surprised by nearly every plant listed in this book, and just how they have been used for some pretty major parts of history, like how hellebore was used to turn the tide of a pretty major historical battle, for example, or how the nectar of the angel’s trumpet flowers were used by Victorian women at teatime to get a bit drunk. Mint is even mentioned, not because it’s a poison, but because of the mythology of the plant.
Inkwrite takes readers on a historical and educational journey throughout the history of plants, using many of them to showcase not just their properties, but how they have been used, and their darker capabilities. And yet it was the accessible nature of his writing that captivated me almost as much as anything else. I was afraid when I bought this book that it would be full of academic jargon and heavy textbook-style prose that would put me to sleep, but what I got here were overviews of countless plants and their stories told in a style that I found surprisingly immersive rather than anything else. Added along with the line drawings in each section, and I was hooked. Plus, I must say, the production quality of this book is out of this world. I don’t typically buy physical books anymore, but this is absolutely one I’m glad I bought. It’s just gorgeous, from cover to cover.
While each plant does get an overview of history, mythology, and the like, it is just an overview. Important information is given, and I used many of these bits of what I learned as I read to give me jumping-off points for further reading. IE: I went on many an internet deep dive doing research to learn more about these plants after I read about them. For this reason, I will say, this is a book best savored rather than devoured. There’s a ton of information here, but if you’re like me, you’ll be, “Oh, that’s interesting, I want to learn more” google searching as you read. It’ll slow your progress down a bit, but that’s okay, because this is one of those books that is best savored. It’s just, quite frankly, that good.
I was surprised by most of this book. Some of these things I already knew, but even in the plants I read about that I thought I knew about, I learned unexpected things, whether it was mythology or historical usage or maybe a bit of both. It ended up being, quite frankly, one of the most illuminating plant books I’ve ever read. The accessible prose and the subject matter combined to create a book I both couldn’t put down and couldn’t stop thinking about.
I don’t know if you’re a plant person like I am, but if you are, I highly suggest giving this book a read. It ended up being one of the highlights of my reading year so far.
November 4, 2022
History and lore on nature’s not so friendly gifts to human-kind. Surprising how many common plants can easily kill you with nary an attempt. Best to be aware! Nice illustrations and good list of resources. What’s in your garden?
February 9, 2021
Today is my spot on the blog tour for 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒; ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ-ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴘʟᴀɴᴛꜱ by Fez Inkwright. Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Liminal 11 for sending me a copy of this beautiful book.
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𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 ... 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝.
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This book is a perfect mix of botany, folklore, and all things witchy. It is a very interesting read, especially for non-fiction, and is beautifully illustrated throughout.
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𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 [𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬], 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞. 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐄𝐱𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ... 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚, 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐢𝐚: 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫.
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The facts about the different plants, and the folklore and mythology that are included make it feel like such a rich tapestry of storytelling.
There are also historical and religious elements broader than folklore that are quite eye-opening, and that serve as interesting reminders about truth within reported history.
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𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝; 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.
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The A-Z layout of the plants makes for a really manageable structure, and gives the reader regular natural breaks to allow for them to reflect and absorb what they have read. But the facts and stories themselves are so interesting that you can easily read a large portion in one sitting.
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𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐠��𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.
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After reading this I intend to buy Fez Inkwright's previous book - 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘈𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 - and will look forward to any future books she writes.
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𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 ... 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝.
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This book is a perfect mix of botany, folklore, and all things witchy. It is a very interesting read, especially for non-fiction, and is beautifully illustrated throughout.
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𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 [𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬], 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞. 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐄𝐱𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ... 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚, 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐢𝐚: 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫.
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The facts about the different plants, and the folklore and mythology that are included make it feel like such a rich tapestry of storytelling.
There are also historical and religious elements broader than folklore that are quite eye-opening, and that serve as interesting reminders about truth within reported history.
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𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐨𝐨, 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝; 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬, 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.
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The A-Z layout of the plants makes for a really manageable structure, and gives the reader regular natural breaks to allow for them to reflect and absorb what they have read. But the facts and stories themselves are so interesting that you can easily read a large portion in one sitting.
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𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐠��𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.
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After reading this I intend to buy Fez Inkwright's previous book - 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘈𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 - and will look forward to any future books she writes.
March 31, 2022
Excellent and beautiful. I’m not sure of the strict veracity of all information (checking elsewhere gave different details for some plants), but a fascinating read.
May 6, 2024
This was a book that discussed different plants associated with curses or poisons'
It went over lore and folktales surrounding certain plants even when they are not dangerous.
the first 15 % talk about general information on poisonous plants and the history of the act of poisonings.
the rest was a A-Z guide to plants (with fungi added to the F section) , going from apple to the yew tree. For each plant the poisonous properties and or the lore which caused them to seem dangerous or dark was discussed.
It went over lore and folktales surrounding certain plants even when they are not dangerous.
the first 15 % talk about general information on poisonous plants and the history of the act of poisonings.
the rest was a A-Z guide to plants (with fungi added to the F section) , going from apple to the yew tree. For each plant the poisonous properties and or the lore which caused them to seem dangerous or dark was discussed.
April 11, 2024
Mystical and intriguing, this book about poisonous plants and their folklore is a great casual read. Perfect for reading late at night under the moon with a cup of tea, each plant is introduced with a short poem which helps capture it's essence. Inkwright is able to not only gives biological facts about the plant, but also provides tales of the supernatural in a seamless and encapsulating manner. I highly recommend this book!
August 21, 2024
Easy quick reference to plants and their poisonous qualities. This book emphasizes folklore and history rather than recipes, obviously. It was hard to listen to because it was easy to lose track of which plants were being discussed, but I wouldn't mind owning a hard copy if I was more interested in botanicals.
May 18, 2024
I was really excited to read this after I spotted it at my local bookstore and I think the title and content of the book do not match. I think this book bit more off than it could handle.
References to the Salem Witch Trials and the ergot theory gave me pause at the beginning of the book. The author discussed ergot as if it was THE thing that caused the witch trials and that is but one theory. They readdress this later in the book, ("though this suggestion is still controversial in some circles") but it remained the author's main explanation for the Salem Witch Trials.
I didn't want to just DNF and gave the book a shot, but this was not the only issue I had. As some other reviewers mention, there are plants brought up that do not have any poisonous impact or effects on health, but are included to discuss lore. I think lore is an interesting topic to cover, but it obscures the intention of the book.
I was not expecting citations, but for as many things as the author discusses with an air of absolute certainty, there should have been detailed citations that included pages and references to look up. In some entries in the A-Z, an asterisk or other symbol would bring you as the reader to see the reference, but it was mostly an author and title, no page numbers or anything further. While there is a bibliography at the end of the book after the index, it still did not include pages or volumes, etc. References and citations are as detailed as they are so that if someone wants to read more, they can do so with ease. I think it does a great disservice because most of the anecdotal evidence or beliefs in indigenous knowledge, practices and alternative medicines already receive a high level of scrutiny.
There are also some points that are just incorrect; in one entry, the Taino people are referenced as being from Jamaica, and in another entry referenced as from the Caribbean at-large. This sort of inconsistency should have been edited before publication. Other topics, like vodou pratice in Haiti are worth having discussions about with people familiar with the practices, but here it felt half-hearted, done to sensationalize it.
References to the Salem Witch Trials and the ergot theory gave me pause at the beginning of the book. The author discussed ergot as if it was THE thing that caused the witch trials and that is but one theory. They readdress this later in the book, ("though this suggestion is still controversial in some circles") but it remained the author's main explanation for the Salem Witch Trials.
I didn't want to just DNF and gave the book a shot, but this was not the only issue I had. As some other reviewers mention, there are plants brought up that do not have any poisonous impact or effects on health, but are included to discuss lore. I think lore is an interesting topic to cover, but it obscures the intention of the book.
I was not expecting citations, but for as many things as the author discusses with an air of absolute certainty, there should have been detailed citations that included pages and references to look up. In some entries in the A-Z, an asterisk or other symbol would bring you as the reader to see the reference, but it was mostly an author and title, no page numbers or anything further. While there is a bibliography at the end of the book after the index, it still did not include pages or volumes, etc. References and citations are as detailed as they are so that if someone wants to read more, they can do so with ease. I think it does a great disservice because most of the anecdotal evidence or beliefs in indigenous knowledge, practices and alternative medicines already receive a high level of scrutiny.
There are also some points that are just incorrect; in one entry, the Taino people are referenced as being from Jamaica, and in another entry referenced as from the Caribbean at-large. This sort of inconsistency should have been edited before publication. Other topics, like vodou pratice in Haiti are worth having discussions about with people familiar with the practices, but here it felt half-hearted, done to sensationalize it.
January 21, 2021
It’s rare for an encyclopaedia- style non-fiction book to be so moreish. But I was hooked. It definitely helps that I have a long term love of plants and folklore, sprouting from a childhood spent in wings chasing fairies through bluebell woods and a family full of avid gardeners and believers in magic. Books like this solidify my belief that while science makes us understand the effects of plants differently, the effects remain the same. Not to get phenomenological about it but, to me, if it feels like magic.
All these incredible plants creating incredible, and often deadly, results through so many means, harnessed by healers and witches and religion and assassins is thrilling and mystical, even after I know the chemical compound that produces the effects. One that has heavily stuck in my mind is the zombie-making Thorn Apple that literally creates a zombie state, through a combination of altered mind states and thorough enough societal believe systems.
This books is an excellent companion for a poet, and it’s useful bibliography means you’ll never been short of a plant reference. I’ve already used it to write a poem including Io’s fate, grazing on violets as a heifer. It has a few editing errors such an typos and repeated sentences, but these don’t really dampen the enjoyment.
All these incredible plants creating incredible, and often deadly, results through so many means, harnessed by healers and witches and religion and assassins is thrilling and mystical, even after I know the chemical compound that produces the effects. One that has heavily stuck in my mind is the zombie-making Thorn Apple that literally creates a zombie state, through a combination of altered mind states and thorough enough societal believe systems.
This books is an excellent companion for a poet, and it’s useful bibliography means you’ll never been short of a plant reference. I’ve already used it to write a poem including Io’s fate, grazing on violets as a heifer. It has a few editing errors such an typos and repeated sentences, but these don’t really dampen the enjoyment.
September 1, 2022
I have been looking for a book like this FOREVER!
I love folklore and have an affinity for herbs and have searched and searched for a book that really marries the two. So many promise to, but say things like “mint is used for luck and money” and never explain why. Inkwright really expands on the interwoven history of both man and plants! I feel as if I truly found the needle in the hay stack!
I love folklore and have an affinity for herbs and have searched and searched for a book that really marries the two. So many promise to, but say things like “mint is used for luck and money” and never explain why. Inkwright really expands on the interwoven history of both man and plants! I feel as if I truly found the needle in the hay stack!
February 16, 2021
First off I have to start by saying that this book about botanical curses and poisons is really quite stunning. It has a tactile cover which makes you want to stroke it before you open to reveal end papers which are filled with dramatic images of skulls, bones, berries and pretty cup shaped flowers, all of which I am sure have deadly portents.
The book is beautifully illustrated by simple mono line drawings which stir the imagination and which give, along with the text, a comprehensive guide to the A-Z of Plants which could potentially do great harm. There is a disclaimer at the start of the book to not try any of these as the book is for information and entertainment only and not a medicinal guide to try plant based medicine at home.
Botanical Curses and Poisons is a book to savour and even dipping into and out of it at whim reveals something quite special which the author describes in a such a magical way that even the most deadly of poisons seems strangely beautiful. It's filled with the awesome charisma which drew our ancestors to search the undergrowth for both cures and poisons and the book reminds us that good and harm often walk side by side. The author demonstrates that not all poisons are deadly, we only have to look at the dramatic use of Foxglove: Digitalis purpurea which contains the poison digitoxin which slows the heart. We still use Digitalis in certain heart conditions today, in fact it was one of the first drugs I had to learn the use of in my student nurse days.
The book is a fascinating cornucopia, filled with a wealth of knowledge both botanical and historical so that reading it becomes more of a journey through the history of both herblore and folklore. Alongside the intricate descriptions of plants and their uses, I have loved reading the references to poets and writers which help to bring the book alive in such a glorious way.
When we are not in lockdown I enjoy walking in woodland and countryside and have a healthy respect for plants and their uses having grown up in a family who made potent brews from nettles, rhubarb and elderberries, and who always had comfrey leaves steeping in a stone pot by the door to use as a compress over bumps and bruises, although here in the North West comfrey was more commonly called the more archaic nip or knit bone.
Botanical Curses and Poisons:The Shadow Life of Plants has been a fascinating book to read. I've enjoyed the wealth and knowledge which the author has included and which gives the impression that producing this has been a real labour of love for her. It has certainly paid off in a book which will sit proudly on my bookshelf and act as an aide memoir should I ever need a curse, or a poison, or simply a lovely, informative read about the shadow lives of those plants I have seen and never knew what power they have, in the right hands, to do both harm...and good.
The book is beautifully illustrated by simple mono line drawings which stir the imagination and which give, along with the text, a comprehensive guide to the A-Z of Plants which could potentially do great harm. There is a disclaimer at the start of the book to not try any of these as the book is for information and entertainment only and not a medicinal guide to try plant based medicine at home.
Botanical Curses and Poisons is a book to savour and even dipping into and out of it at whim reveals something quite special which the author describes in a such a magical way that even the most deadly of poisons seems strangely beautiful. It's filled with the awesome charisma which drew our ancestors to search the undergrowth for both cures and poisons and the book reminds us that good and harm often walk side by side. The author demonstrates that not all poisons are deadly, we only have to look at the dramatic use of Foxglove: Digitalis purpurea which contains the poison digitoxin which slows the heart. We still use Digitalis in certain heart conditions today, in fact it was one of the first drugs I had to learn the use of in my student nurse days.
The book is a fascinating cornucopia, filled with a wealth of knowledge both botanical and historical so that reading it becomes more of a journey through the history of both herblore and folklore. Alongside the intricate descriptions of plants and their uses, I have loved reading the references to poets and writers which help to bring the book alive in such a glorious way.
When we are not in lockdown I enjoy walking in woodland and countryside and have a healthy respect for plants and their uses having grown up in a family who made potent brews from nettles, rhubarb and elderberries, and who always had comfrey leaves steeping in a stone pot by the door to use as a compress over bumps and bruises, although here in the North West comfrey was more commonly called the more archaic nip or knit bone.
Botanical Curses and Poisons:The Shadow Life of Plants has been a fascinating book to read. I've enjoyed the wealth and knowledge which the author has included and which gives the impression that producing this has been a real labour of love for her. It has certainly paid off in a book which will sit proudly on my bookshelf and act as an aide memoir should I ever need a curse, or a poison, or simply a lovely, informative read about the shadow lives of those plants I have seen and never knew what power they have, in the right hands, to do both harm...and good.
October 12, 2022
This is a really beautiful collection of poisonous plants and those that have some mythological or traditional connection to death. It's beautifully illustrated, the end pages are a thing of utter beauty and every plant is introduced by a poem or otherwise short piece of writing connected to it's name and working.
I actually started reading this book some time back in April or May but had to put this aside as I was cramming for my chemist finals. Reading about poisonous (and yes, sometimes also medicinal) plants while desperately trying to remember all the German and Latin names as well as the medicinal uses of the plants used in over the counter medicine wasn't the best way for me to go.
But I really enjoyed my time with this, the witchy vibes are immaculate and this really is just such a beautiful book! The various connections drawn between the plants and both history and myth were really engaging as well and had me laughing more times than I thought (I mean, it's just a bit funny to read about a guy terrified of being poisoned, so he eats tiny amounts of poisons every day of his life and then finds he's immune to poisons when he tries to kill himself by using-you guessed it- poison).
Anyway, would recommend for people with a passing interest in plants, history and myth but don't want cold hard facts.
I actually started reading this book some time back in April or May but had to put this aside as I was cramming for my chemist finals. Reading about poisonous (and yes, sometimes also medicinal) plants while desperately trying to remember all the German and Latin names as well as the medicinal uses of the plants used in over the counter medicine wasn't the best way for me to go.
But I really enjoyed my time with this, the witchy vibes are immaculate and this really is just such a beautiful book! The various connections drawn between the plants and both history and myth were really engaging as well and had me laughing more times than I thought (I mean, it's just a bit funny to read about a guy terrified of being poisoned, so he eats tiny amounts of poisons every day of his life and then finds he's immune to poisons when he tries to kill himself by using-you guessed it- poison).
Anyway, would recommend for people with a passing interest in plants, history and myth but don't want cold hard facts.
February 8, 2021
It is well known how plants have been used through time for healing and their medicinal properties, but as with all nature where there is good bad will surely follow.
As a kid I soon learnt that nettles with white petals underneath wouldn’t sting, unlike the ones without, and that if I was stung a dock leaf could be found nearby to relieve the pain. Even the names of some plants piqued my morbid curiosity, the fungi dead man’s fingers is a prime example.
This book is filled with meticulous detail on plants, the history behind poisoning and how a plant used to heal can be lethal if the incorrect dose is given.
I already knew I had a few poisonous/toxic plants in my garden but I was amazed to discover the violet, which I always thought was such a happy little flower was so associated with death and the underworld.
From wise women to witches, it’s all there between the covers, alongside quotes and beautiful illustrations. This is a book to treasure and pass on so the legacy of nature can continue.
As a kid I soon learnt that nettles with white petals underneath wouldn’t sting, unlike the ones without, and that if I was stung a dock leaf could be found nearby to relieve the pain. Even the names of some plants piqued my morbid curiosity, the fungi dead man’s fingers is a prime example.
This book is filled with meticulous detail on plants, the history behind poisoning and how a plant used to heal can be lethal if the incorrect dose is given.
I already knew I had a few poisonous/toxic plants in my garden but I was amazed to discover the violet, which I always thought was such a happy little flower was so associated with death and the underworld.
From wise women to witches, it’s all there between the covers, alongside quotes and beautiful illustrations. This is a book to treasure and pass on so the legacy of nature can continue.
February 20, 2025
At some point in my life I stg I will start reading more than just the title before I start a book.
I was expecting a botany pop-sci book and this was mostly a folklore book filled with cursory info (often questionable, occasionally outright wrong). It seems like the print version is beautifully illustrated; it probably should have stayed a print-only coffee table book and never should’ve been made into an audio book.
I can’t speak to the narrator’s pronunciation of most of the non-English words, but she badly mispronounced the few Chinese words in the book and pronounced “Namibia” a way I can only describe as unique, so that doesn’t bode too well. I appreciated the attempt to venture outside of European folklore, but it was a bit galling to hear her pinpoint some stories down to specific towns/counties in the UK and then describe something else as a belief from “central Africa.” Also, how tf is the word “g*psy” still getting past editors in books published in 2021???
I was expecting a botany pop-sci book and this was mostly a folklore book filled with cursory info (often questionable, occasionally outright wrong). It seems like the print version is beautifully illustrated; it probably should have stayed a print-only coffee table book and never should’ve been made into an audio book.
I can’t speak to the narrator’s pronunciation of most of the non-English words, but she badly mispronounced the few Chinese words in the book and pronounced “Namibia” a way I can only describe as unique, so that doesn’t bode too well. I appreciated the attempt to venture outside of European folklore, but it was a bit galling to hear her pinpoint some stories down to specific towns/counties in the UK and then describe something else as a belief from “central Africa.” Also, how tf is the word “g*psy” still getting past editors in books published in 2021???
March 22, 2021
Thank you so much to @turnaround_books and @liminal11 for sending me a copy of this stunning book in exchange for an honest review.
I think I have found a new favourite Non-Fiction recommendation folks! I don't read a lot of Non-Fiction, and there is always an unknown around how accessible the writing is going to be... and there are no such worries here. This is a glorious book; beautifully and lovingly written, completely engaging and utterly compelling.
This book is truly a stunning work of art as much as it is a writing on the A-Z of plants and their sometimes dark and nefarious history. The text flows around and between beautiful illustrations, and includes poems, quotes and various wisdoms about each plant as well as the history and folklore associated with it.
The writing is wonderful too. The sub-title sums this one up perfectly; 'The Shadow-Lives of Plants'. Particularly as an avid reader of Historical Fiction there is so much here that I found so compelling; opium use in Victorian England, which has been mentioned in several of my recent Historical Fiction choices, herbalism and the persecution of witches...
Definitely one for anybody interested in folklore and myth, as well as plant lovers. This was truly fascinating.
Can we also just take a moment to wonder at the beauty that is this cover 🥰 it is absolutely stunning! And the pages within are packed full of beautiful line drawings too. This is truly a gorgeous book inside and out.
4 glorious stars.
I think I have found a new favourite Non-Fiction recommendation folks! I don't read a lot of Non-Fiction, and there is always an unknown around how accessible the writing is going to be... and there are no such worries here. This is a glorious book; beautifully and lovingly written, completely engaging and utterly compelling.
This book is truly a stunning work of art as much as it is a writing on the A-Z of plants and their sometimes dark and nefarious history. The text flows around and between beautiful illustrations, and includes poems, quotes and various wisdoms about each plant as well as the history and folklore associated with it.
The writing is wonderful too. The sub-title sums this one up perfectly; 'The Shadow-Lives of Plants'. Particularly as an avid reader of Historical Fiction there is so much here that I found so compelling; opium use in Victorian England, which has been mentioned in several of my recent Historical Fiction choices, herbalism and the persecution of witches...
Definitely one for anybody interested in folklore and myth, as well as plant lovers. This was truly fascinating.
Can we also just take a moment to wonder at the beauty that is this cover 🥰 it is absolutely stunning! And the pages within are packed full of beautiful line drawings too. This is truly a gorgeous book inside and out.
4 glorious stars.
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