Katrina Gulliver

Not everything in the garden is lovely

For as long as we have been human, powerful chemicals in plants have provided us with stimulants, analgesics – and the means of murder

Common toxic plants (left to right): Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna), Fly Agaric (Amanita Muscarius), Strong-scented Lettuce (Lactuca Virosa). From The Household Physician, 1890. [Getty Images]

  • Most Delicious Poison: From Spices to Vices – The Story of Nature’s Toxins

    Noah Whiteman

    Oneworld, pp. 304, £20

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