Wicked Plants Quotes

“A poisonous seed will only kill you if you chew it and swallow.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

“But a male tree produces only small, well-behaved flowers—that is, if your definition of well behaved includes spewing plant sperm into the air for weeks on end.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

“A jalapeño pepper—generally considered to be the hottest pepper any sane person would attempt to chew and swallow—gets a rating of around 5,000 SHU.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

“can take over a week for a Venus flytrap to devour its prey, and it may only eat a few bugs in its life. Although people can force a trap to close by running a finger along it, carnivorous plant enthusiasts consider this rude.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

“Mango and cashew trees also produce the irritating resin known as urishol, as does the lacquer tree. In fact, people who are highly sensitive to poison ivy or one of its cousins may experience a cross-sensitivity to mango rind or a lacquer-covered box.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

“Although people can force a trap to close by running a finger along it, carnivorous plant enthusiasts consider this rude.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

“Young shoots contain enough cyanide to kill a horse. Death is mercifully swift, usually caused by cardiac arrest or respiratory failure and preceded by only a few hours of anxiety, convulsions, and staggering about.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

“Aconitine is so powerful that Nazi scientists found it useful as an ingredient for poisoned bullets.”
― Amy Stewart, Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities