Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities,   ISBN:9781565126831

Customer Rating: 

Wicked Plants, by Amy Stewart, is an informative, sexy book with a wicked sense of humor. Tales of espionage, murder, and the unexpected dangers of house plants are found inside this mysterious book. In fact, it's pretty amazing just how many nefarious plants are within close range. "I confess that I am enchanted by the plant kingdom's criminal element," says Stewart, "I love a good villain... There is something beguiling about sharing their dark little secrets. And these secrets don't just lurk in a remote jungle. They're in our own backyards."

Indeed, Stewart keeps her own poison garden! She understands the macabre allure of plants like Hemlock, and Opium, and reveals the dark side of common plants like Castor Bean and Philodendron. Did you know that lilies are lethal to cats? That the cashew tree contains oils which induce a poison ivy-like reaction?

Copper plate etchings grace the aged-looking pages giving it an eerily elegant look. I actually can't believe this book isn't much more expensive based on its artful presentation alone. You just don't see books like this at all--maybe antiques, but nothing current.

I highly recommend Wicked Plants for yourself and for gifts. Christmas is coming and I think this would be awesome not just for the garden geeks on your list, but history lovers and anyone who appreciates good writing, good humor, and a little danger.

Customer Rating: 

What a fun and informative book. Great presentation and size.
The perfect gift for the gardener and plantaholic on your gift list.

Customer Rating: 

Beautiful writing, beautiful drawings. Couldn't read through in one sitting - of couse, not a novel like I was expecting, mainly a listing of plants.

Customer Rating: 

What a great book. I love to read about these fascinating plants. I was talking to someone about a medical condition they have. They said the Doctor called the medication foxglove. I told them I had this book so we looked it up. We read what it had to say about foxglove, it was so interesting! I was lucky enough to see part of a show about Ms. Stewart's garden. I know it brought the book more to life for me. Sorry I didn't get to view the entire episode. I would recommend this book to anyone. People in the past knew so much more about the natural things in life. I wish we had all this knowledge.

Customer Rating: 

This was actually a very well written and informative book. It's enough to make a vegetarian decide to eat meat. Not really, but it will make you re-evaluate the plants we take for granted as "benign".