Poisonous Plants and Their Lore

We all love plants, right? We give them names, talk to them like they’re our friends, and basically treat them like family. However, a lot of plants out there can actually really hurt you. That’s what we’re going to talk about today with my longtime friend and fellow plant podcaster Jane Perrone, host of ‘On the Ledge’ podcast and author of ‘Atlas of Deadly Plants.’ We’ll talk about poisonous plants, their chemistry, history, and their complicated relationship with us! Let's get right to it!

In this episode, we learn:

• [02:39] How Jane became “Head of Inspiration” at Scribehound Gardening
• [07:11] Jane’s evolving plant passions
• [11:45] Her first book Legends of the Leaf… and its comeback story
• [13:58] Behind Jane’s new book: The Atlas of Deadly Plants
• [15:06] Espoma Organic
• [16:48] The Water Smart Garden by Noelle Johnson
• [18:36] What makes a plant poisonous?
• [19:29] The tragic tales of Victorian children
• [20:07] What’s the Manchineel tree?
• [22:31] Why ancient medicines like ayahuasca, peyote, and tobacco made the list
• [26:11] What are the two plants classified as biological weapons?
• [28:48] How do plants classify as a biological weapon?
• [32:39] How Arthur Conan Doyle experimented with poison on himself!
• [34:04] Lords and Ladies: the plant of ancient Europe
• [37:42] The real-life dangers of giant hogweed!
• [39:28] Lily of the Valley
• [42:45] The dark myths behind witches’ “flying ointments”
• [44:57] How women’s herbal knowledge became demonized as witchcraft
• [47:52] The deadly elegance of strychnine and why it’s easy to detect
• [49:23] How modern toxins have replaced plant poisons
• [49:58] Where can you find Jane’s books and Scribehound's written works?

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Scribehound Gardening
• Legends of the Leaf: Unearthing the Secrets to Help Your Plants Thrive by Jane Perrone
• The Atlas of Deadly Plants by Jane Perrone
• Legends of the Leaf: an update
• Plants with Superpowers: 75 Remarkable Plants for your Garden and Home by David Domoney
• Growing Joy 292: 7 Houseplants with Superpowers with David Domoney
• Episode 90: Jane Perrone of On the Ledge Podcast - Growing Joy with Maria
• The History of Houseplants with Jane Perrone, Ep 186 - Growing Joy with Maria

Which common plants in your area are poisonous?

Check out the full show notes and blog here to learn more!

Follow Jane:

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Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Quarto: The Water-Smart Garden by Noelle Johnson

Grab The Water-Smart Gardenat quarto.com and wherever books are sold. 

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants)by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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