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Poisonous Plants and Their Lore with Jane Perrone, Ep 315

We all love plants, right? We give them names, talk to them like they’re our friends, and basically treat them like family. However, a lot of plants out there can actually really hurt you. That’s what we’re going to talk about today with my longtime friend and fellow plant podcaster Jane Perrone, host of ‘On the Ledge’ podcast and author of ‘Atlas of Deadly Plants.’ We’ll talk about poisonous plants, their chemistry, history, and their complicated relationship with us! Let's get right to it!

In this episode, we learn:

[02:39] How Jane became “Head of Inspiration” at Scribehound Gardening
[07:11] Jane’s evolving plant passions
[08:50] How has the transition been for Jane from a podcaster to a writer?
[11:45] The rise and fall of her first book Legends of the Leaf… and its comeback story
[13:58] Behind Jane’s new book: The Atlas of Deadly Plants
[15:06] Keep your indoor plants nourished and healthy this winter with Espoma Organic!
[16:48] Learn how to save water, money, and the planet while you garden with The Water Smart Garden by Noelle Johnson!
[18:36] What makes a plant poisonous?
[19:29] The tragic Victorian tales of children poisoned by curiosity
[20:07] What’s the Manchineel tree?
[22:31] Why ancient medicines like ayahuasca, peyote, and tobacco made the list
[26:11] What are the two plants classified as biological weapons?
[28:48] How do plants classify as a biological weapon?
[32:16] When scientists used themselves as test subjects (yes, really)
[32:39] How Arthur Conan Doyle experimented with poison on himself!
[34:04] Lords and Ladies: the alluring, risqué plant of ancient Europe
[37:42] The real-life dangers of giant hogweed!
[39:28] Lily of the Valley (Christian Dior’s obsession & Breaking Bad’s plot twist)
[42:45] The dark myths behind witches’ “flying ointments”
[44:57] How women’s herbal knowledge became demonized as witchcraft
[47:52] The deadly elegance of strychnine and why it’s easy to detect
[49:23] How modern toxins have replaced plant poisons
[49:58] Where can you find Jane’s books and Scribehound's written works?

Order my book!

Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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What Makes a Plant Poisonous Anyway?

When you hear poisonous, you might be thinking about something like a rainforest vine or a deadly mushroom. You’re correct, of course. But Jane also wants to give light to the danger that can grow quietly, even on your windowsill or local park.

Some examples:

Poison Ivy – Rarely kills anyone but will leave you blistered and quite miserable
Ricinus communis (castor oil plant) – this one produces Ricin, which is literally one of the world’s most infamous biological toxins
Manchineel tree – their sap can burn your skin simply by standing under it in the rain
Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum) – very common in Europe; people used it before to make starch for Elizabethan collars
Lily of the Valley – Christian Dior was obsessed with this plant! You can see it everywhere from his fashion designs to his perfume to his coffin (yes). Fun fact: It also makes a cameo in Breaking Bad as a murder weapon
Witches’ “Flying Ointment” – Medieval women understood the effects of plants like mandrake, henbane, and nightshade, and their knowledge was often twisted into myth, which turns them into villains
Giant hogweed – a huge plant that causes really bad blisters if you get the sap on your skin

Most plant poisonings don’t happen like in the movies. There’s no instant collapse after a single sip. You will usually feel nausea, cramps, and dizziness that can take hours or days before it becomes fatal.

Back in Victorian times, children were getting poisoned way more often because they'd be playing outside without supervision. A kid might pull up what looks like a parsnip by a river and eat it, but oops, it's actually water hemlock, and that's really bad news.

The Very Thin Line Between Medicine and Poison

There's this old saying, “The dose makes the poison.” It means anything can poison you if you take too much of it. Even regular headache medicine (i.e., aspirin) will mess you up if you take 50 pills instead of 2.

Plants work the same way—many of the species in Jane’s book walk that fine line between healer and killer.

For example, ayahuasca and peyote. People use these in indigenous ceremonies carefully and in a guided way, so in their traditional context, these plants are like medicine. Now, if they’re taken carelessly or in the wrong dose, they’re deadly.

Even tobacco became our greatest poison once it was commercialized (and abused).

Biological Weapons Growing in Gardens

Two plants in the book are classified as actual biological weapons: the castor oil plant and the rosary pea.

The castor oil plant (Ricinus communis) is super common in the UK. It grows in parks and gardens everywhere. But the seeds make castor oil, and when you process them, you get ricin as a leftover. There was this Bulgarian guy named Georgi Markov who got killed with a tiny pellet of ricin injected into his leg.

The rosary pea is actually way more poisonous, like four times more toxic than the castor plant. But nobody really grows it commercially, so it's harder to get, which is why you don't hear about it being used for attacks.

Lessons from The Atlas of Deadly Plants

Every plant in The Atlas of Deadly Plants tells a story of contrast. There’s beauty and danger, healing and harm, reverence and fear. Many species we now grow safely in gardens or keep as houseplants once had notorious reputations.

The deeper message Jane leaves us with is one of respect. Plants aren’t just decorations but they’re complex living chemists that have evolved to protect themselves… and sometimes that defense mechanism can harm us.

As Jane put it, “All plants are interesting.” It’s just about understanding them.

Learn More and Keep Growing

Jane reminded me that loving plants also means knowing everything about them, their light and shadow, their gifts and limits. And if you’re interested in her book, it is available wherever books are sold! And the illustrations alone make it worth owning.

Mentioned in our conversation:

Scribehound Gardening
Legends of the Leaf: Unearthing the Secrets to Help Your Plants Thrive by Jane Perrone
The Atlas of Deadly Plants by Jane Perrone
Legends of the Leaf: an update
Plants with Superpowers: 75 Remarkable Plants for your Garden and Home by David Domoney
Growing Joy 292: 7 Houseplants with Superpowers with David Domoney
Episode 90: Jane Perrone of On the Ledge Podcast – Growing Joy with Maria
The History of Houseplants with Jane Perrone, Ep 186 – Growing Joy with Maria

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Espoma Organic

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Visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

Quarto: The Water-Smart Garden by Noelle Johnson

If you worry about your area's water restrictions, the changing climate, or you just want to be more eco-friendly, check out The Water-Smart Garden by Noelle Johnson! In this book, Noelle shares different techniques on how to conserve water while maintaining a thriving garden. From learning how to improve your soil and your containers' water-holding capacity to growing a drought-tolerant garden, The Water-Smart Garden will guide you through it all.

Grab The Water-Smart Garden at quarto.com and wherever books are sold.

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