• Wicked Plants

  • The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
  • By: Amy Stewart
  • Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
  • Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (1,185 ratings)

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Wicked Plants  By  cover art

Wicked Plants

By: Amy Stewart
Narrated by: Coleen Marlo
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Editorial reviews

Author/Gardener Amy Stewart and reader Coleen Marlo have followed up Wicked Plants with a new audiobook detailing the sinister elements that could be lurking in floral bouquets, backyard gardens, or even that plate of vegetables on the dinner table. Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities continues in the vein of Wicked Bugs, giving a brief history of known botanical problems: poison ivy, hemlock, oleander, etc., but also adding tidbits about obscure plants to be assiduously avoided. While Coleen Marlo's playful tone makes the most of Stewart's creative descriptions, both the text and the reader continually emphasize the need for safety and easy access to the phone number for Poison Control when reaction to a plant is ever in question.

Marlo clearly enjoys herself as she reads through "Death by Lawn", "Weeds of Mass Destruction", and "Vegetable Wickedness". It is the little things that are the most interesting, though, such as Marlo's presentation of "ordeal beans", which, for a while in Nigeria became a Monty Python-esque method of determining innocence or guilt through the ingesting the toxic calabar bean. Or how simply passing by a henbane plant could cause folks to swoon, which is why ancient Romans attempted to use the plant as an anesthesia.

Stewart's research encompasses plants that strangle, sicken, sting, cause hives, and in general irritate through their seeds, leaves, fragrance, and oils. Marlo's delivery brings forth the irony and/or humor inherent in plants with names from "vomitwort" and "corpse flower". There are fascinating facts as Stewart details and Marlo presents the sometimes fine line between plant as healer - castor oil from castor beans - to plant as murderer - the horrific poison, ricin, is an extract from that same castor bean plant. There is malevolence to be found in the book from unstoppable water hyacinth vines, fast-growing bushes of purple loosestrife, and the pestilence of killer algae in our oceans. Wicked Plants tells of a world pretty much taken over by insidious plant life, perhaps increasing its sinister control while a human population is distracted by smartphones, computer screens, and iPads. Fortunately for the audiobook aficionados, listeners can remain alert to the encroaching kudzu while enjoying Amy Stewart's highly entertaining writing and Coleen Marlo's enthusiastic descriptions in Wicked Plants. Oh, and remember to avoid exploding plants! Carole Chouinard

Publisher's summary

Beware! The sordid lives of plants behaving badly. A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. Amy Stewart, best-selling author of Flower Confidential, takes on over 200 of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend.

Stewart renders a vivid portrait of evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, enlighten, and alarm even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers.

©2009 Amy Stewart (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Culling legend and citing science, Stewart's fact-filled, A-Z compendium of nature's worst offenders offers practical and tantalizing composite views of toxic, irritating, prickly, and all-around ill-mannered plants." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about Wicked Plants

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    3 out of 5 stars

Couldn't finish it

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend a print copy to someone who was very interested in plants. It's basically a research book, a list of plants.

Would you recommend Wicked Plants to your friends? Why or why not?

No, because it is basically a list of noxious plants and their characteristics. I thought it would be a nonfiction boo, k arranged as essays or themed chapter. Lists do not make entertaining reading.

What three words best describe Coleen Marlo’s performance?

Clear, accurate, educated.

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Reads like a Encyclopedic List

This was interesting but most of the plants were only lightly touched upon. I was hoping for a more detailed account of what they were and how they have been used. It was still interesting to find out how dangerous some plants can be and how some are used for common decoration.

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Interesting

Parts were very interesting but then it felt like everything could make certain people react. Having certain allergies and sensitivities I was eager to learn about this but I think this is a book that is better either with an accompanying PDF if there is one or just get the hardcover which hopefully has visuals or photos. If you’re into hiking or really into nature, this probably is a must read though.

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A physical book would have been better.

The narration was good, don’t get me wrong, but I wish I had a physical book or even a kindle copy to make notes etc. it would be easier to look up things later. Amazed at how many common plants can make you sick or kill you.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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A catalog of toxic plants

Wide ranging but superficial. Hard to listen. Repetitive at times, could benefit from editing. A few interesting anecdotes.

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Lots of information

I learned a lot from this book about plants that I had never heard of, and about plants that I knew about already. I love to learn new things. I will read this again probably.

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For the Casual Nerd

Any additional comments?

This is an enjoyable book for those who also like to read tidbits of trivia, in this case about poisonous plants. I listened to this while I ran on the treadmill during my workout. Lots of neat stuff to learn about without being too weighed down with specific scientific speak. For the casual nerd who doesn't necessarily have to be into plants.

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More of a list

A lot of good info, no real story. Many of the factoids were repeated. Of course now I’ll never eat another plant again, but....

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These plants are no joke

The narration is a little stale, but there is good information to be had in this book.

You'll learn not only about things like Wolf's Bane and it's commonly known poisonous friends, but about weeds, trees, and flowers. It's really fascinating, give it a try.

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Wicked Plants

Amy Stewart's book about plants are always interesting but she ascribes too many anthropomorphic qualities to her subjects. Plants aren't evil, or wicked, they just are. Their poisons and toxins are biological defense mechanisms and weren't evolved simply to decimate humankind.

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