Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart, Briony Morrow-Cribbs (Illustrator)
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(Hardcover)
- Pub. Date: May 2009
- 223pp
- Sales Rank: 4,131
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: May 2009
- Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
- Format: Hardcover, 223pp
- Sales Rank: 4,131
- ISBN-13: 9781565126831
- ISBN: 1565126831
Synopsis
A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. In Wicked Plants, Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature’s most appalling creations. It’s an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. You’ll learn which plants to avoid (like exploding shrubs), which plants make themselves exceedingly unwelcome (like the vine that ate the South), and which ones have been killing for centuries (like the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's mother).
Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.
Biography
Amy Stewart’s essays and commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Garden Design, Organic Gardening, and elsewhere. She has been featured on NPR, Good Morning America, and CBS Sunday Morning. For more information, go to www.amystewart.com.
Briony Morrow-Cribbs studied studied art at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver, British Columbia, and currently lives in Brattleboro, Vermont, where she owns and operates Twin Vixen Press.
Customer Reviews
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quirky, fun, and informativeby Anonymous
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January 31, 2010: The urban myth about green potato chips is true! (Well, sort of) I got the book on a whim and enjoyed it. It has a lot of information about all kinds of exotic plants, as well as ones we have in our gardens and on our dinner tables. Very interesting, especially if you're the type of person who likes weird facts.
A witty, enlightening, "must-have" book!!by MinnesotaReader
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December 07, 2009: "Wicked Plants" introduces an utterly fascinating collection of deadly, intoxicating, dangerous, painful, destructive, and offensive plants. Arranged in alphabetical order, each plant listing is accompanied by interesting quotable facts and engaging anecdotes. What an eye opener! I was surprised that many ordinary house and backyard plants can be outright dangerous, causing among other things.skin sores, emesis, paralysis, delirium, and even heart failure. One of the many intriguing anecdotes was about the 1691 Salem witchcraft trials. Cereal grass caused the young Salem girls' bizarre behavior. But unfortunately, 19 people were hung for 'casting spells' on these girls. Most of the listings are further accompanied by exquisite etchings and charming illustrations created by a duo of talented artists. These, in addition to the 'aged' pages and cover, give the book a delightfully eerie, antique, and magical look.
Ms. Stewart is a very gifted writer who has skillfully crafted a creative, well-researched book. With 68,847 people poisoned annually by plants, this enlightening book not only teaches us to have a cautious respect for plants but also does so in a very entertaining format. Now, what about that sub-title "The Weed that killed Abraham Lincoln's Mother and other botanical atrocities?" She got sick from milk and if you want to know how.read this enthralling book! I absolutely loved it! Very highly recommended!
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