--- product_id: 636313930 title: "Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants" price: "28763CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/636313930-botanical-curses-and-poisons-the-shadow-lives-of-plants store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants **Price:** 28763CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants - **How much does it cost?** 28763CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/636313930-botanical-curses-and-poisons-the-shadow-lives-of-plants) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Discover the folklore and history of our most toxic plants through this beautifully produced, gorgeously illustrated compendium—a captivating coffee table book for enthusiasts of witchcraft books and botanical knowledge alike. "If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison,’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later." – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland In both history and fiction, some of the most dramatic, notorious deaths have been through poisonings. Concealed and deliberate, it’s a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected. And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: the difference lies only in the dosage! In Botanical Curses and Poisons , Fez Inkwright, a knowledgeable kitchen witch, returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating, untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants, witching herbs, and fungi. Going from A to Z, she covers everything from apple (think of the poisoned fruit in “Snow White”) and the hallucinogenic angel’s trumpet to laurel, which emits toxic fumes, to oleander (a deadly ornamental shrub), with each plant beautifully illustrated by the author herself, making it a spellbinding spell book and a feast for the eyes. This enthralling treasury is packed with insight, lore, and the revealed mysteries of everyday flora—including the prevalence of poisoning in ancient Rome, its use in religion and magic, and common antidotes—making this the perfect addition to the library of gardeners, writers, folklorists, witches, and scientists alike. Whether you seek knowledge of plant books or a comprehensive plant encyclopedia, this poisonous plants book is a must-have addition to your collection, delving into curses, chemistry, and the captivating world of botanical witchcraft books. Review: Poisonously Wonderful!! - This hardcover book is really wonderful! It has an orange satin ribbon bookmark attached. The contents of the book are really interesting and accurate. The author presents scientific information as well as history and literary references. The sections don’t droan on and on, and are not boring. It’s just enough information but gives good reference points if you want to research further. The plants are also in alphabetical order, which is helpful, as well an index in the back. I really like the illustrations as well, though not super accurate at times, it adds to the whimsical nature of the book as if it were an alchemist’s journal (I may go in and color some of them in with colored pencils along with my numerous annotations in the margins). The book is 9in tall and 1in thick. It is very much a high quality book with sturdy, thick pages. I will definitely be looking into more books from this author. Review: I can't even handle how much I loved this book. - I’m a big gardener, and I’m also a fantasy author. When I started writing one of my current works in progress, I realized that after the pandemic and health issues and all the emotional upheaval and stress from that, I wanted to write a book that was maybe a bit softer, with a magic system that paid homage to the plant world that I love so much. But I didn’t really want a “kitchen witch” feel to the magic. I wanted something else entirely. I settled on a “flower magic” system. The problem is, I don’t really grow flowers. I have an absolutely huge garden, but “flowers” is not really part of it. I grow vegetables and fruits, and a lot of them come from all around the world, but I don’t really grow flowers. So I knew when I set out to write this book that I needed to get books about flowers, and about the specific parts of them I need for this magic system. Upon my search for books that fit what I needed, I ran across this one. It wasn’t really what I needed for my writing research, but it looked interesting so I sort of shrugged and added it to my cart. Reader, it was probably one of the best random decisions I’ve made in a while. This book was fantastic. I’ve always been a bit drawn to the darker side of things. Darker aspects of history, of the world itself. When I saw Botanical Curses and Poisons, I knew it was the book for me. It isn’t terribly long, but it is nonfiction, so I worried I was in for a textbook-style dissertation on the chemical compounds of… or something like that. However, I really blew through this book pretty quickly, as I discovered the topic was not only really interesting, but written in an incredibly accessible manner, along with simple drawings that illuminate rather than distract from the information being given. There’s a bit of an introduction section, and then the book goes through a bunch of plants alphabetically, talking about myths involved with them, or how they were used throughout history. I was hugely surprised by nearly every plant listed in this book, and just how they have been used for some pretty major parts of history, like how hellebore was used to turn the tide of a pretty major historical battle, for example, or how the nectar of the angel’s trumpet flowers were used by Victorian women at teatime to get a bit drunk. Mint is even mentioned, not because it’s a poison, but because of the mythology of the plant. Inkwrite takes readers on a historical and educational journey throughout the history of plants, using many of them to showcase not just their properties, but how they have been used, and their darker capabilities. And yet it was the accessible nature of his writing that captivated me almost as much as anything else. I was afraid when I bought this book that it would be full of academic jargon and heavy textbook-style prose that would put me to sleep, but what I got here were overviews of countless plants and their stories told in a style that I found surprisingly immersive rather than anything else. Added along with the line drawings in each section, and I was hooked. Plus, I must say, the production quality of this book is out of this world. I don’t typically buy physical books anymore, but this is absolutely one I’m glad I bought. It’s just gorgeous, from cover to cover. While each plant does get an overview of history, mythology, and the like, it is just an overview. Important information is given, and I used many of these bits of what I learned as I read to give me jumping-off points for further reading. IE: I went on many an internet deep dive doing research to learn more about these plants after I read about them. For this reason, I will say, this is a book best savored rather than devoured. There’s a ton of information here, but if you’re like me, you’ll be, “Oh, that’s interesting, I want to learn more” google searching as you read. It’ll slow your progress down a bit, but that’s okay, because this is one of those books that is best savored. It’s just, quite frankly, that good. I was surprised by most of this book. Some of these things I already knew, but even in the plants I read about that I thought I knew about, I learned unexpected things, whether it was mythology or historical usage or maybe a bit of both. It ended up being, quite frankly, one of the most illuminating plant books I’ve ever read. The accessible prose and the subject matter combined to create a book I both couldn’t put down and couldn’t stop thinking about. I don’t know if you’re a plant person like I am, but if you are, I highly suggest giving this book a read. It ended up being one of the highlights of my reading year so far. ## Images ![Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/716FpgXAZxL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Poisonously Wonderful!! *by S***E on March 16, 2024* This hardcover book is really wonderful! It has an orange satin ribbon bookmark attached. The contents of the book are really interesting and accurate. The author presents scientific information as well as history and literary references. The sections don’t droan on and on, and are not boring. It’s just enough information but gives good reference points if you want to research further. The plants are also in alphabetical order, which is helpful, as well an index in the back. I really like the illustrations as well, though not super accurate at times, it adds to the whimsical nature of the book as if it were an alchemist’s journal (I may go in and color some of them in with colored pencils along with my numerous annotations in the margins). The book is 9in tall and 1in thick. It is very much a high quality book with sturdy, thick pages. I will definitely be looking into more books from this author. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I can't even handle how much I loved this book. *by B***S on August 23, 2021* I’m a big gardener, and I’m also a fantasy author. When I started writing one of my current works in progress, I realized that after the pandemic and health issues and all the emotional upheaval and stress from that, I wanted to write a book that was maybe a bit softer, with a magic system that paid homage to the plant world that I love so much. But I didn’t really want a “kitchen witch” feel to the magic. I wanted something else entirely. I settled on a “flower magic” system. The problem is, I don’t really grow flowers. I have an absolutely huge garden, but “flowers” is not really part of it. I grow vegetables and fruits, and a lot of them come from all around the world, but I don’t really grow flowers. So I knew when I set out to write this book that I needed to get books about flowers, and about the specific parts of them I need for this magic system. Upon my search for books that fit what I needed, I ran across this one. It wasn’t really what I needed for my writing research, but it looked interesting so I sort of shrugged and added it to my cart. Reader, it was probably one of the best random decisions I’ve made in a while. This book was fantastic. I’ve always been a bit drawn to the darker side of things. Darker aspects of history, of the world itself. When I saw Botanical Curses and Poisons, I knew it was the book for me. It isn’t terribly long, but it is nonfiction, so I worried I was in for a textbook-style dissertation on the chemical compounds of… or something like that. However, I really blew through this book pretty quickly, as I discovered the topic was not only really interesting, but written in an incredibly accessible manner, along with simple drawings that illuminate rather than distract from the information being given. There’s a bit of an introduction section, and then the book goes through a bunch of plants alphabetically, talking about myths involved with them, or how they were used throughout history. I was hugely surprised by nearly every plant listed in this book, and just how they have been used for some pretty major parts of history, like how hellebore was used to turn the tide of a pretty major historical battle, for example, or how the nectar of the angel’s trumpet flowers were used by Victorian women at teatime to get a bit drunk. Mint is even mentioned, not because it’s a poison, but because of the mythology of the plant. Inkwrite takes readers on a historical and educational journey throughout the history of plants, using many of them to showcase not just their properties, but how they have been used, and their darker capabilities. And yet it was the accessible nature of his writing that captivated me almost as much as anything else. I was afraid when I bought this book that it would be full of academic jargon and heavy textbook-style prose that would put me to sleep, but what I got here were overviews of countless plants and their stories told in a style that I found surprisingly immersive rather than anything else. Added along with the line drawings in each section, and I was hooked. Plus, I must say, the production quality of this book is out of this world. I don’t typically buy physical books anymore, but this is absolutely one I’m glad I bought. It’s just gorgeous, from cover to cover. While each plant does get an overview of history, mythology, and the like, it is just an overview. Important information is given, and I used many of these bits of what I learned as I read to give me jumping-off points for further reading. IE: I went on many an internet deep dive doing research to learn more about these plants after I read about them. For this reason, I will say, this is a book best savored rather than devoured. There’s a ton of information here, but if you’re like me, you’ll be, “Oh, that’s interesting, I want to learn more” google searching as you read. It’ll slow your progress down a bit, but that’s okay, because this is one of those books that is best savored. It’s just, quite frankly, that good. I was surprised by most of this book. Some of these things I already knew, but even in the plants I read about that I thought I knew about, I learned unexpected things, whether it was mythology or historical usage or maybe a bit of both. It ended up being, quite frankly, one of the most illuminating plant books I’ve ever read. The accessible prose and the subject matter combined to create a book I both couldn’t put down and couldn’t stop thinking about. I don’t know if you’re a plant person like I am, but if you are, I highly suggest giving this book a read. It ended up being one of the highlights of my reading year so far. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ LOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEE *by J***A on June 24, 2022* I am so enchanted with this book!! As an herbalist, I find it important to not just know the medicinal properties of plants but also the ones to avoid while in the field! This book is ammaazzzinngggg. The illustrations of each plant are gorgeous. I love how folklore and real history is interwoven into each plant section, learning what famous people have died from what is absolutely fascinating! It definitely brings each spirit of the plant alive on the page! I can't rave enough. It's not weird if I sleep with it under my pillow, is it?? 👀 ## Frequently Bought Together - Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants - Poison: The History of Potions, Powders and Murderous Practitioners - Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers (Volume 1) (Hidden Languages) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/636313930-botanical-curses-and-poisons-the-shadow-lives-of-plants](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/636313930-botanical-curses-and-poisons-the-shadow-lives-of-plants) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-07-13*