“Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities,” by Amy Stewart. Etchings by Briony Morrow-Cribbs. Drawings by Jonathan Rosen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. 236 pp. $18.95.
By Deirdre Parker Smith
dp1@salisburypost.com
Now that the tropical rains have set in and the humidity is about a gazillion percent, it’s the perfect time to talk about bad plants.
Even good plants go bad in this kind of weather.
But the really bad plants are listed in “Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities,” a book along the lines of “100 Flowers and How they Got Their Names,” only with evil intentions.
It starts out with various warnings, and admonishes, “Finally, do not experiment with unfamiliar plants or take a plant’s power lightly. Wear gloves in the garden; think twice before swallowing a berry on the trail or throwing a root into the stew pot. If you have small children, teach them not to put plants in their mouths …”Aside from familiar poisonous plants like castor bean and aconite, you’re going to find common houseplants on the dangerous list.
Peace lily, Spathiphyllum spp., is a prime example. “In 2005, more people called poison control centers about possible peace lily poisoning than any other plant,” the author writes. The plant has calcium oxalate crystals that can cause skin irritation, burn the mouth, make swallowing difficult and lead to nausea. Peace indeed.
Philodendron has that same calcium oxalate. Dieffenbachia can cause vocal chords to swell to the point people lose their voices.
Under deadly plants, in addition to the usual suspects like deadly nightshade, the author also describes death camas, pretty meadow flowers that can kill you.
Livestock most often suffers from death cama poisoning, especially sheep. The animals cannot be treated for it and are often found dead in fields of the flowers.
Some historians believe Lewis and Clark’s expedition party suffered from death cama poisoning.
Dangerous plants include ones that contain allergens, another problem that lingers in the Piedmont through virtually every season.
Did you know that Tucson, Ariz., has passed an ordinance banning the sale or planting of olive trees because their pollen is so irritating?
Mulberry, which once graced many a Southern yard, sheds, the author says, “billion of pollen grains that linger on patios and get tracked indoors.”
Southern Bermuda grass is among the most allergenic of all grasses.
Do we need to review kudzu? Didn’t think so.
Deadly lawns might contain cogon grass, Imperata cylindrical. Not only do the blades grow to 4 feet, their edges contain tiny silica crystals as sharp as a knife. Even the roots can pierce other plants.
Cogon grass, like kudzu, was planted to control erosion and as cattle feed. Unfortunately, it spreads like kudzu and tends to cut the cow’s lips and tongues.
Another livestock killer: Johnson grass. Young shoots have enough cyanide to kill a horse. Look for respiratory failure or heart failure as a sign.
Pretty but dreadful are larkspur, lily-of-the-valley (Granny told me about that one), bleeding heart (can cause seizures) and tulip (eat the bulb and you’ll be sorrrrrry).
One section, listed under “Offensive,” is “Social Misfits,” plants that need fire for their seeds to germinate, plants that stink, ooze or bleed.
Among the hot tempered ones:
– Gas Plant or Burning Bush, Dictamnus albus. It has so much volatile oil in it that on a hot night, lighting a match near it can set it on fire.
– Eucalyptus trees or Eucalyptus spp., are partly to blame for the spread of the Oakland, Calif., fire that killed 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Blame volatile oils again.
– Pampas grass ó seen all over the landscape now ó became invasive in the western states and produces so much dry material it can accelerate or redirect wildfires.
Stay away from slobber weed, Pilocarpus pennatifolius, as in don’t chew it, ever. It triggers the salivary glands to the point where you could lose a pint or more of body fluid, followed by hours of “nausea, dizziness and other unpleasant symptoms.”
But the bleeding plant is actually useful. Sangre de Drago, Croton lechleri, is a shrub that oozes a thick red sap. The book says some Amazon tribes use it to stop bleeding “and treat other medical ailments.”
Now you’ll want to know what killed Nancy Hanks Lincoln. It was milk sickness, and to learn what caused it, you’ll just have to buy the book.
And remember ó don’t touch that plant!