Book Review: Wicked Plants

Amy Stewart's Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2009) is a valuable resource for any gardener. The book is 336 pages of fact-filled, entertaining information and includes end notes with a section on "Antidote," short biographies of two artists who contributed to the book, a list of poison gardens, and a bibliography. The book won the American Horticultural Society Award in 2010.

Wicked Plants is serious in content, and the author points out obvious and hidden dangers of the plant world, but Stewart's intent is not to scare people away from the outdoors. She writes of living on the Pacific Coast and of the dangers of turning one’s back on "sleeper waves" that sweep the unsuspecting out to sea. Just as people should not turn their backs on the ocean, they should not turn their backs on nature because plants "can nourish and heal." Caution is needed however: "they can also destroy." The book is a warning but should not be a deterrent to enjoying nature. Unsurprisingly, according to information on the outside back cover, Stewart tends her own poison garden in northern California.

The table of contents is broken down into profiles of specific plants, such as the "Betel Nut" or a group of plants, such as "This Houseplant Could Be Your Last." Specific plants are in bold type, while classes are sepia toned. Each profile starts with a header that describes the kind or kinds of plants portrayed. Aconite is labeled "Deadly," while the jimson weed is labeled "Dangerous." Other designations include "Illegal," "Intoxicating," and "Painful," among others. Each specific plant profile starts with a sidebar that includes the plant family, habitat, origin, and common names. Stewart addresses problematic plants from around the world, including Asia and Africa.

As well as Stewart's elegant writing, the book is filled with illustrations, instead of photographs, by artists Briony Morrow-Cribbs (etchings) and Jonathon Rosen (drawings). Illustrations have the advantage of showing a standard plant rather than variations found in the wild.

In addition to containing well-researched information, Stewart includes many anecdotal accounts of troublesome encounters with plants, but there are no in-text citations as to the origins of the information. The book makes the gardener think about what plants in their garden may be poisonous, such as all parts of the lovely rhododendron. Or how peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes are members of the nightshade family. And yes, green spots on potato skins can indicate increased levels of solanine, a naturally occurring poison that is killed when a potato is cooked.

The organization of the book is a little problematic. It might be beneficial to readers for the plants to be arranged geographically or even in order of toxicity. Another thing the book lacks is an index. It is difficult to pinpoint particular plants due to the groupings Stewart has created, such as "Arrow Poisons" and "Deadly Dinner," unless the reader remembers what kind of plant it is and where it would be located in the book. But these are small quibbles, and if the book is reprinted, perhaps these issues can be addressed.

Despite some drawbacks, the book is beautifully written and illustrated and contains a wealth of valuable information.