Poisonous Plants and Fatal Fungi

Explore humanity's fascination with death through toxic flora and how they have affected history, magic, warfare, art, and more.

Sandra Kynes shares sixty detailed profiles divided into five themes, from classic killers to frightful fungi. Each profile includes the plant's history, folklore, and medicinal uses, as well as how it may or may not be used today.

Aconite • Birthwort • Buttercup • Daffodil • Deadly Nightshade • Death Cap • Ergot • Foxglove • Funeral Bell • Hemlock • Liberty Cap • Mandrake • Mistletoe • Oleander • Pokeweed • Poppy • Tobacco • Wormwood

Dispatching people with poisonous plants isn't just an Agatha Christie plot—it began thousands of years ago and continues to this day. From penny-dreadful novels to true-crime television programs, we seem to have a penchant for ghoulishness. This book feeds our curiosity through detailed investigations of the murky roots of toxicology, witches and Indigenous healers, poisons in popular media, and much more. From datura to yew, deadly plants can attract you like a moth to a flame...but don't get too close.

"A plentiful compendium of poisonous plants and fungi! From murder mystery to medical history, to folklore and fatalities, Poisonous Plants and Fatal Fungi conveys the allure and intrigue of these powerful botanicals, demonstrating that naturally occurring toxins can also be the source of some of our most important cures. Toxic toadstools and poisonous plants have both repelled and fascinated humans throughout history, appearing in literature, theatre and gardens both macabre and mundane. Poisonous Plants and Fatal Fungi is a collection of these stories, both a reminder of the power of the natural world and a reflection of our own human nature."
—Coby Michael, author of The Poison Path Herbal and The Poison Path Grimoire