Article

Dangerous Garden by David Stuart: Quest for Plants to Change Our Lives

Dangerous Garden by David Stuart describes the quest for plants to access gods, change lives, end disease and pain, enhance sex, expand minds, and kill.

Dangerous Gardens contain cure-all, do-nothing, feel-good, poisonous beauties Dangerous Garden by author, botanist, columnist, gardener, and nurseryman David Stuart acknowledges individual significance and societal impacts from the quest for plants to: • access gods; • change lives; • drive sex; • end disease and pain; • expand minds; • kill. The 2004 release begins with an introduction to two of 10,000-plus world-renowned medicinal plants. The Harvard University Press publication considers: • the placebo effect of justified or unjustified beliefs in curers and cures since the time of Roman imperial physician Galen (129 – 199?); • the recorded uses of rhubarb, from Roman aphrodisiac to Medieval plague-fighter to sixteenth-century ague and syphilis remedies to twenty-first century late-spring pie-filling; • the twentieth-century vetting of cancer, convulsion, paralysis-causing colchicine in arthritis and gout-prescribed, saffron-flavored, stimulating autumn crocus (Colchicum). ***** Website: http://www.david-stuart.co.uk/dangerous.html *****

Modern statue honors Galen of Bergama (Pergamum), 2nd century CE Greek physician/philosopher/surgeon

Bergama, İzmir Province, western Anatolian peninsula, western Turkey — Bernard Gagnon (Bgag), CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Dangerous Gardens derail no afflictions other than malaria

Chapter One describes ineffectively attacking epidemics of:

bubonic plague by devil’s bit scabious, dog’s mercury, gold-crowned blessed thistle, laser-wort, Madonna lily, mallow, nettles, opium-poppy, rue, saltpeter, valerian, willow-gentian, yellow monkshood;
HIV by aloe vera, pau d’arco, purple coneflower;
leprosy by alkanet, calamint, cannabis, cashew nut, choulmoogra, darnell grass, dodder, euphorbia, frankincense, garden anemone, neem, opium, spikenard, tamarind;
malaria by febrifuges, hemp, neem, qat.

The second chapter explains bolstering organs with:

belladonna for vision;
foxglove for heart;
licorice, rest-harrow, sweet cicely, vetch for respirations;
wormwoods for digestion.

Chapter Three finds controlling pain on the treatment agenda of:

aconite;
chamomile, Chinese lanterns;
feverfew;
galbanum, golden-berry;
hemp, henbane;
jaborandi;
meadowsweet, mountain-peony;
night-blooming cactus;
opium-poppy;
tormentil;
white poplar, willow;
yellow-flowering rhododendron.

Atropa belladonna, known commonly as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a dangerous plant with beneficial and toxic qualities.

eye examination; portions of retina as seen through undilated pupil and dilated pupil — National Eye Institute, U.S. Government Works, via

Dangerous Gardens encourage aphrodisiacs, elixirs, hallucinogens, pain-killers, poisons

The fourth chapter gives as jump-starting or sustaining aphrodisiacs:

Chinese foxglove;
ephedra;
frankincense;
mandrake, myrrh;
nutmeg;
queen-of-the-night cactus;
sarsaparilla;
yohimbe.

Chapter Five has as euthanistic/fatal options:

aconite;
belladonna;
comfrey;
hemlock, hemp, henbane;
Madagascar periwinkle, mandrake, mushrooms;
opium-poppy;
poison-nut, pokeweed;
ragwort;
Saint John’s wort, senna;
thorn-apple, thorough-wort.

The sixth chapter identifies reversing, slowing or stopping biological clocks through reliance upon:

almond oil, black briony, linseed oil, olive oil, rosemary for skin health;
aniseed, antimony, coriander, fennel, sarsaparilla for weight control;
brown-eyed rockrose, linseed, reeds, southern nettle for hair volume;
crinum lily, daffodil, fenugreek, mastick, shea, walnut oil, white briony for wrinkle amelioration and prevention;
ginseng for healthy longevity;
greater celandine, nettle-tree, savin, tormentil for wart prevention and removal.

Pretty comfrey (Symphylum spp.) is popular in folk medicine and as cultivated or wild plant; US FDA banned its consumption because of dangerous amounts of naturally occurring alkaloids (hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids) that may cause liver failure.

Las Sołtysowicki (Sołtysowicki Forest), northeastern Wrocław, western Poland; Saturday, May 13, 2006, 13:10 — Agnieszka Kwiecień (Nova), CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Dangerous Gardens furnish effective painkillers, placebos, poisons, psychedelics

Chapter Seven juxtaposes as mind-expanders:

cannabis, coca;
ephedra;
guarana, gum rock-rose;
hemp, hoodia;
peony;
qat;
Saint John’s wort, snakeroot;
tobacco.

The eighth chapter keeps the focus on mind-related treatments through such hallucinogens as:

ayahuasca;
bindweed;
cannabis, castor oil, Christmas cactus, coyote cactus;
kava-kava;
morning glory;
peyote, prickly pear cactus;
sage, San Pedro four-winds cactus, sesame, snuff, sweet potato;
thorn-apple;
virola;
wood-rose.

Concluding pages lead into observations on adaptive, defensive, survivalist agenda behind human-interpreted evil, human-perceived good whereby plants sustain life cycles and natural histories.

Appended acknowledgments, bibliographies, and indices manage repeated access to Dangerous Garden’s culturally enriching, educationally entertaining, and geo-historically enthralling images and information whose real-time configuration simultaneously yields cure-all, do-nothing, feel-good, must-have, watch-out floral beauties.

a plant with a dangerous beauty: berries, flowers, and foliage of deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), also known as belladonna

deadly nightshade flowers in late July: Poland, central Europe — Joozwa, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image Credits

Modern statue honors Galen of Bergama (Pergamum), 2nd century CE Greek physician/philosopher/surgeon
Identifying plant remedies for his pharmaceutical formulations numbers among Galen's many contributions to contributions.
Bergama, İzmir Province, western Anatolian peninsula, western Turkey: Bernard Gagnon (Bgag), CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Galen_of_Pergamon.jpg

Atropa belladonna, known commonly as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a dangerous plant with beneficial and toxic qualities.
Historically Italian women used belladonna berry juice cosmetically for pupil dilation, which was considered seductive but which also could cause vision problems or blindness via prolonged use. As atropine, belladonna is still used today in Ophthalmology.
eye examination; portions of retina as seen through undilated pupil and dilated pupil: National Eye Institute, U.S. Government works, via National Eye Institute media library @ https://medialibrary.nei.nih.gov/media/3718; (former URL @ National Eye Institute/National Institutes of Health, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationaleyeinstitute/7544457396/)

Pretty comfrey (Symphylum spp.) is popular in folk medicine and as cultivated or wild plant; US FDA banned its consumption because of dangerous amounts of naturally occurring alkaloids (hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids) that may cause liver failure.
Famed remedies of common comfrey (Symphytum officinale) in European folk medicine accompanied the Old World's introduction into the New World.
Las Sołtysowicki (Sołtysowicki Forest), northeastern Wrocław, western Poland; Saturday, May 13, 2006, 13:10: Agnieszka Kwiecień (Nova), CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Symphytum_officinale_01.jpg

a plant with a dangerous beauty: berries, flowers, and foliage of deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), also known as belladonna
deadly nightshade flowers in late July: Poland, central Europe: Joozwa, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atropa_belladonna_flowers.JPG

San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi) has been used in Andean Mountain regions for healing and religious divination for three millennia.
San Pedro cactus contains mescaline, naturally occurring alkaloid hallucinogen. Cultivation of San Pedro cactus in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and United States is legal as an ornamental but illegal for consumption.
driveway-lined San Pedro cacti; Freistaat Bayern (Free State of Bavaria), Luala‘ilua Hills, East Maui; Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 11:51: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_070320-5796_Echinopsis_pachanoi.jpg

Sources Consulted

Stuart, David. 2004. Dangerous Garden: The Quest for Plants to Change Our Lives. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi) has been used in Andean Mountain regions for healing and religious divination for three millennia.

driveway-lined San Pedro cacti; Freistaat Bayern (Free State of Bavaria), Luala‘ilua Hills, East Maui; March 20, 2007, 11:51 — Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

the end which is also the beginning — OpenClips, Public Domain, via Pixabay

Dangerous Garden: The Quest for Plants to Change Our Lives by David Stuart ~ Available via Amazon

dangerous plant products

Atropa Belladonna 1.0 oz Eau de Parfum Spray by Shay & Blue London ~ "Handcrafted In England. Made With Real Flowers, Fruits And Spices." ~ Available via Amazon

Shay & Blue London Atropa Belladonna 1.0 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

Atropa Belladonna Fragrance by Shay & Blue ~ "All of our scents are made with real flowers, fruits and spices with a long-lasting scent." ~ Available via Amazon

Atropa Belladonna Fragrance

Me and my purrfectly purrfect Maine coon kittycat, Augusta "Gusty" Sunshine

Updated September 11, 2026

Comments

DerdriuMarrinerMar 2, 2019

WriterArtist, Thank you for appreciating Dangerous Garden. It's a beautiful, excellent read that I consult a lot, frequently, often. It's a way of avoiding repetitions of the tragedy of plant misidentification that's the subject of Jon Krakauer's book Into the Wild and Sean Penn's subsequent film.

WriterArtistMar 1, 2019

It is amazing to see how many plant species are poisonous. It takes quite some time to see the aftermath of certain plants, toxic levels can make the difference. Many of these poisonous plants can and are used in medicine but it is always good to know which plants are safe for the home garden. An eye opener, this book certainly is good to have for gardeners.

DerdriuMarrinerNov 13, 2018

katiem2, Thank you for the visit and the appreciation of the book. I love my copy and refer to it all the time. Should you write another children's book about your redhead who likes herself, and if that book is about green roofs, then this would be an excellent resource on what NOT to have in her garden.

katiem2Nov 9, 2018

I sometimes wonder anytime I see a cat or dog chewing on plants out of doors. This is a practical bit of information, thank you for the careful research.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 4, 2018

frankbeswick, Please accept my apologies for the delay ... and the misinformation.
The Food & Drug Administration, not the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2001, not 2007, advised against external and internal use of comfrey, respectively on open wounds and because of cancer and liver damage.
I don't seem to be able to access the advisory even though I have the source information: FDA. 2001. FDA advises dietary supplement manfacturers to remove comfrey products from the market. USFDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
A 2005-released study -- Mutagenicity of comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) in rat liver, by N Mei, L. Guo, PP Fu, RH Heflich and T Chen -- in the British Journal of Cancer 92(5): 873-875 -- gives the FDA URL, which does not bring it up, at least for me.
The above-mentioned study likewise lists in its bibliography Rode, D. November 2002. Comfrey toxicity revisited. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 23(11): 497-499. The latter notes that "The conclusion that comfrey is not safe for internal use in humans is primarily based on studies in which high levels of purified PAs [pyrrolizidine alkaloids] were administered to rodents.Systematic toxicity testing or clinical trials have not been performed. Although PA poisoning in humans can occur, this is most commonly a consequence of consumption of plants other than comfrey." She suggests that "Clearly, the risk of hepatic damage during treatment with comfrey will be influenced by its source, the amount consumed, the duration of treatment, and the health and nutritional status of the patient." Rode states that low-protein diets facilitate the PA toxicity that high-protein diets minimize.

frankbeswickSep 1, 2018

Thanks Derdriu.I await your response.As one who suffered liver disease as a child I have to be careful.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 1, 2018

frankbeswick, The fuss happened about 10 years ago because of liver damage from ingestion. But the USDA then also mentioned that external applications can be problematic near or on broken skin. I will check and get back about this since I'm writing from memory, without specifics at hand.

MiraSep 1, 2018

frankbeswickSep 1, 2018

My doctor recommended comfrey oil for my troubled knee joints, and it has been beneficial when rubbed in. What was the USDA warning about it?

DerdriuMarrinerAug 31, 2018

Mira, Me neither, I don't watch much television.
Elementary is considered an American series even though there is U.K. involvement, most noticeably with English actor Jonny Lee Miller as a Sherlock Holmes updated to 21st-century New York City. I like the way that it's so educationally entertaining, with episodes on animals, artwork, fossils and plants.

MiraAug 31, 2018

I may have seen parts of the Elementary series on TV. I don't watch much TV. I do, however, see, borrow DVDs with certain series from the British library.

DerdriuMarrinerAug 30, 2018

Mira, Does Romania carry the Elementary procedural drama series episodes with Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Jon Michael Hill and Aidan Quinn? The sixth season atypically is running from May through September. Monday's episode Aug. 27, 2018, plotted around death-inducing, mind-controlling, mind-expanding scopolamine from the dried, powdered seeds of Brugmansia (Angel's trumpets, Devil's breath) species: scary!
The plant puzzles make great gifts, for others and -- ;-D -- to oneself.
I think of comfrey for organic fertilizer. In its herbal uses, which I don't use anyway, comfrey was initially a surprise but then I remembered the to-do about USDA warning about external and internal applications.

MiraAug 29, 2018

This is so interesting, and I only know a few of these plants. I was surprised to learn how rhubarb was used throughout the centuries! Also, I didn't know comfrey was poisonous. In fact, didn't know what that plant was called until I saw the photo here. So thanks :)

I like the idea of a puzzle for plants :)

DerdriuMarrinerApr 3, 2017

frankbeswick, Excellent observation! Alternative, homeopathic, modern and traditional medicine, like surgery, call for a steady hand.

frankbeswickApr 3, 2017

The poison is sometimes in the dose, for in some cases what is poisonous in normal quantities can be used as a medicine by one adept in medical arts.

DerdriuMarrinerApr 3, 2017

katiem2, Some of the entries surprise me too even though the author is competent and research tends to verify what he says. Purple coneflowers also are among my favorites too, and I'll have to remember to copy you in serving them up as bird feed this year.

katiem2Mar 26, 2017

Interesting, it is amazing how much the earth provides for our benefit. I grow purple cone flowers, I love them, they are hearty and pretty all season from spring to late fall and it is then they feed the birds. I was surprised to find them on the list.

DerdriuMarrinerMar 25, 2016

sandyspider, Yes, indeed! I prefer the plants that are beneficial and nice to smell, taste and view even though I like a good mystery (regarding why a plant is here) and I prefer to know what plants need to be avoided by people, pets and wildlife.

sandyspiderMar 24, 2016

It is amazing the effects of plants and what they can do for us.

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 4, 2016

frankbeswick, That's a very sweet image of your wife seeing to it that you get your mints timely! Me too, I forgot to mention that sometimes mints help me when I need to be alert and concentrated on longer drives.

frankbeswickFeb 4, 2016

I take a non-sweetened caffeine drink before I set off, but ensure that I do not drink it all in one go. I like to stop for breaks, when I take some more of it. But a key part of my strategy is to take a good supply of strong mints, which I chew while I drive, for mint is very effective at helping sustain concentration. If my wife is with me she hands me the mints while I drive.

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 4, 2016

frankbeswick, I drank guaraná as soft drink and as tea when I lived in Brazil. It's refreshing in both forms, and I've had them, but only rarely, on this side of the pond when I've gotten together -- although not recently -- with Brazilian acquaintances.
Otherwise, I haven't sought them out because I tend to think they taste and work best when taken with the drinks and foods they're used to being served with. So I've never thought of guaraná in terms of a stimulating drink on its own but as a Brazilian drink to be taken in tandem with Brazilian appetizers, foods, or snacks.
On long drives, I settle for discreetly flavored water, mineral water, or water since I like cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot, and water is wonderful water as long as it's not too cold or too hot.
What do you usually choose?

frankbeswickFeb 4, 2016

How safe do you think guarana is? I know that it is not poisonous, but is a stimulant. However, in my case I have a problem that I suffer sometimes from palpitations, and so I have to be very careful with stimulants, though the main preventative strategy is to avoid stress. When doing long drives I like to take a drink that sustains concentration, but I am unsure whether to take guarana products.

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 3, 2016

Mira, Isn't it great that you and dangerous plants are not in the same place? It's nice to know what they look like, but not nice if they're everywhere you look and you don't know what they are ;-D.

MiraJan 22, 2016

I knew about belladonna and atropine but didn't know what the plant looked like. Now I do and I'm surprised I don't remember ever seeing it anywhere.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 12, 2016

frankbeswick, Shoots Out of Eden and monastic gardening and the British Isles, oh my, yes!

frankbeswickJan 12, 2016

I had no plans, but I could do so. I will give it some thought. You might like my book, Shoots Out of Eden, which deals with monastic gardening in the British Isles.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 12, 2016

frankbeswick, Another place to find really interesting mummies is in the Tarim River basin where people of ancient Celtic and Iranian origins established an oasis system and relied heavily on ephedra. Here on Wizzley I've written about the oldest aged kefir cheese preserved with the Tarim River Basin Mummies of Xiaohe Mudi in Northwest China.
Do you have any plans to provide New Year perspectives on plants and religion?

frankbeswickJan 7, 2016

Thank you. Your information on mummies feeds my interest in religion and plants.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 7, 2016

frankbeswick, The book is beautifully illustrated and clearly written. Yes, it's true that a difference in dosage can make the difference between death or survival.
It's interesting that you mention coca leaf tea since that is a longstanding, widespread remedy throughout the Andes. Scientists are finding that the child mummy retrievals from the high Andes all implicate coca leaf to "smooth" the passage between a young life and an early sacrificial death.
The coca plant has many uses, far far beyond its original incorporation in Coca Cola.

frankbeswickJan 7, 2016

How did I miss this article? It contains such a trove of useful information.

Here is some information on coca.My son was travelling in the Andes when he took ill with altitude sickness, which can be fatal. His companions got him to drink coca leaf tea, which cured the symptoms and possibly saved him from being seriously ill. The poison is the dose,for many substances are medicinal in the right doses.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 7, 2016

lindylou2, Fortunately, there is a lot of more information than one would expect in print and on the Internet regarding plants which do not help us as much as we think they do. Thank you for mentioning me in the same sentence as Frank Beswick!

DerdriuMarrinerOct 22, 2015

AngelaJohnson, Yes, some of them would appear in murder mysteries since what doesn't bring on hallucinations, control pain, or kill just makes one feel good!

AngelaJohnsonOct 22, 2015

Quite interesting! I know many of the dangerous plants from reading murder mysteries.

Dangerous Gardens derail no afflictions other than malaria

Chapter One describes ineffectively attacking epidemics of:

bubonic plague by devil’s bit scabious, dog’s mercury, gold-crowned blessed thistle, laser-wort, Madonna lily, mallow, nettles, opium-poppy, rue, saltpeter, valerian, willow-gentian, yellow monkshood;
HIV by aloe vera, pau d’arco, purple coneflower;
leprosy by alkanet, calamint, cannabis, cashew nut, choulmoogra, darnell grass, dodder, euphorbia, frankincense, garden anemone, neem, opium, spikenard, tamarind;
malaria by febrifuges, hemp, neem, qat.

The second chapter explains bolstering organs with:

belladonna for vision;
foxglove for heart;
licorice, rest-harrow, sweet cicely, vetch for respirations;
wormwoods for digestion.

Chapter Three finds controlling pain on the treatment agenda of:

aconite;
chamomile, Chinese lanterns;
feverfew;
galbanum, golden-berry;
hemp, henbane;
jaborandi;
meadowsweet, mountain-peony;
night-blooming cactus;
opium-poppy;
tormentil;
white poplar, willow;
yellow-flowering rhododendron.

Dangerous Gardens encourage aphrodisiacs, elixirs, hallucinogens, pain-killers, poisons

The fourth chapter gives as jump-starting or sustaining aphrodisiacs:

Chinese foxglove;
ephedra;
frankincense;
mandrake, myrrh;
nutmeg;
queen-of-the-night cactus;
sarsaparilla;
yohimbe.

Chapter Five has as euthanistic/fatal options:

aconite;
belladonna;
comfrey;
hemlock, hemp, henbane;
Madagascar periwinkle, mandrake, mushrooms;
opium-poppy;
poison-nut, pokeweed;
ragwort;
Saint John’s wort, senna;
thorn-apple, thorough-wort.

The sixth chapter identifies reversing, slowing or stopping biological clocks through reliance upon:

almond oil, black briony, linseed oil, olive oil, rosemary for skin health;
aniseed, antimony, coriander, fennel, sarsaparilla for weight control;
brown-eyed rockrose, linseed, reeds, southern nettle for hair volume;
crinum lily, daffodil, fenugreek, mastick, shea, walnut oil, white briony for wrinkle amelioration and prevention;
ginseng for healthy longevity;
greater celandine, nettle-tree, savin, tormentil for wart prevention and removal.

Dangerous Gardens furnish effective painkillers, placebos, poisons, psychedelics

Chapter Seven juxtaposes as mind-expanders:

cannabis, coca;
ephedra;
guarana, gum rock-rose;
hemp, hoodia;
peony;
qat;
Saint John’s wort, snakeroot;
tobacco.

The eighth chapter keeps the focus on mind-related treatments through such hallucinogens as:

ayahuasca;
bindweed;
cannabis, castor oil, Christmas cactus, coyote cactus;
kava-kava;
morning glory;
peyote, prickly pear cactus;
sage, San Pedro four-winds cactus, sesame, snuff, sweet potato;
thorn-apple;
virola;
wood-rose.

Concluding pages lead into observations on adaptive, defensive, survivalist agenda behind human-interpreted evil, human-perceived good whereby plants sustain life cycles and natural histories.

Image Credits

Comments

DerdriuMarrinerMar 2, 2019

WriterArtistMar 1, 2019

DerdriuMarrinerNov 13, 2018

katiem2Nov 9, 2018

I sometimes wonder anytime I see a cat or dog chewing on plants out of doors. This is a practical bit of information, thank you for the careful research.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 4, 2018

frankbeswickSep 1, 2018

Thanks Derdriu.I await your response.As one who suffered liver disease as a child I have to be careful.

DerdriuMarrinerSep 1, 2018

MiraSep 1, 2018

frankbeswickSep 1, 2018

My doctor recommended comfrey oil for my troubled knee joints, and it has been beneficial when rubbed in. What was the USDA warning about it?

DerdriuMarrinerAug 31, 2018

MiraAug 31, 2018

I may have seen parts of the Elementary series on TV. I don't watch much TV. I do, however, see, borrow DVDs with certain series from the British library.

DerdriuMarrinerAug 30, 2018

MiraAug 29, 2018

DerdriuMarrinerApr 3, 2017

frankbeswick, Excellent observation! Alternative, homeopathic, modern and traditional medicine, like surgery, call for a steady hand.

frankbeswickApr 3, 2017

The poison is sometimes in the dose, for in some cases what is poisonous in normal quantities can be used as a medicine by one adept in medical arts.

DerdriuMarrinerApr 3, 2017

katiem2Mar 26, 2017

DerdriuMarrinerMar 25, 2016

sandyspiderMar 24, 2016

It is amazing the effects of plants and what they can do for us.

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 4, 2016

frankbeswickFeb 4, 2016

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 4, 2016

frankbeswickFeb 4, 2016

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 3, 2016

Mira, Isn't it great that you and dangerous plants are not in the same place? It's nice to know what they look like, but not nice if they're everywhere you look and you don't know what they are ;-D.

MiraJan 22, 2016

I knew about belladonna and atropine but didn't know what the plant looked like. Now I do and I'm surprised I don't remember ever seeing it anywhere.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 12, 2016

frankbeswick, Shoots Out of Eden and monastic gardening and the British Isles, oh my, yes!

frankbeswickJan 12, 2016

I had no plans, but I could do so. I will give it some thought. You might like my book, Shoots Out of Eden, which deals with monastic gardening in the British Isles.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 12, 2016

frankbeswickJan 7, 2016

Thank you. Your information on mummies feeds my interest in religion and plants.

DerdriuMarrinerJan 7, 2016

frankbeswickJan 7, 2016

DerdriuMarrinerJan 7, 2016

DerdriuMarrinerOct 22, 2015

AngelaJohnson, Yes, some of them would appear in murder mysteries since what doesn't bring on hallucinations, control pain, or kill just makes one feel good!

AngelaJohnsonOct 22, 2015

Quite interesting! I know many of the dangerous plants from reading murder mysteries.