Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $25.95
Who knew that hellebores (Helleborus spp.) helped the Greeks win the First Sacred War? Or that eating too much corn (Zea mays) can make you look like Dracula? This compendium gives the goods—or, er, bads—on what Stewart calls “botanical atrocities,” both rare and common plants that live on the dark side of the plant kingdom. Beware: You’ll be looking at this year’s seed catalogues in a whole new light.
Take a peek inside: Read our excerpt from Wicked Plants!
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