You’ve probably seen the various Humans Are Space Orcs posts that point out how many things (plants especially) that are toxic or straight up poison to most other species. In small amounts, those poisons are delicious to us! Yay! Too much will still make you sick though.
But you know what’s really bonkers? How we just KNOW what things are salad and which are the “just a little bit” plants, of the things we’ve always identified. Meaning, yeah you’ll sit down to a spiniach salad no problem every day, but when presented with a big bowl of fresh rosemary would you just tuck in? You would not. Same if the bowl was just peppercorns, or coffee cherries, or chocolate beans.
Alien: Yikes, that plant is reading as toxic.
Human: Nah, it’s fine. A little chili pepper is great! (Eats a small amount)
Alien: Good to know!
(later at the alien dinner party, Human is presented with a plate of just chili peppers)
For witchcraft practitioners who work with plants, be it in spells, charms, being tactile in nature or gardening, this list contains some of the plants that can bring harm if used incorrectly or have a high level of toxicity.
Always be cautious and so research on any plant or herb you’re planning to utilize or grow.
Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius) • Ingesting a single seed can kill an adult human. Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, convulsions, liver failure, and death, usually after several days.
Wolfsbane (Aconitum spp) • All parts are poisonous, if ingested, it usually causes burning, tingling, and numbness in the mouth, followed by vomiting and nervous excitement. Even casual skin contact should be avoided. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, and cardiac irregularity.
White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) • All parts are poisonous, especially the berries, the consumption of which has a sedative effect on cardiac muscle tissue and can cause cardiac arrest.
Arnica • Poisonous in great quantities. Symptoms of poisoning include gastroenteritis, fever, nausea, dizziness, abnormal cardiac frequency, diarrhea, skin reaction and internal hemorrhage in the digestive system.
Azalea (Rhododendron simsii) • If ingested it is poisonous. Continued contact should be avoided. Symptoms of poisoning are nausea, depression, respiratory difficulties, coma. It is rarely lethal.
Anthurium (Anthurium spp) • Prevent getting in contact with the sap. Symptoms are skin irritation and eye irritation.
Cedronella canariensis • Can cause skin irritation, indigestions. Should not be used or touch by pregnant people or lactating people.
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) • Extremely poisonous, it is lethal and it can be absorbed through skin. Symptoms of poisoning are fogged vision, staggering, loss of balance, dry mouth and throat, headache, skin eruptions, constipation, confusion, hallucination and convulsion.
Lamprocapnos spectabilis • Can be poisonous in big quantities, which causes convulsions and other symptoms in the nervous system.
Iris versicolor • Symptoms pf poisoning include nausea, vomit, mouth and throat irritation, irritation on the digestive system, skin irritation, headache and epiphora.
Bryony • All parts are poisonous and any type of contact causes death.
Ranunculus • If ingested, the juice can cause serious damage to the digestive system.
Acorus calamus • Toxic in big quantities, can cause hallucination, nausea and vomit.
Physostigma venenosum • Extremely toxic, can cause intense sweating, extreme salivation, nausea, vomit, diarrhea, irregular cardiac rhythm, change in blood pressure, confusion, convulsion, coma, muscular weakness, paralysis, respiratory difficulties and death.
Cinnamomum camphora • Skin rash, itchiness, respiratory difficulties, mouth, eyes, face or lips swelling.
Ricinus communis • Poisonous. Can cause burning in the mouth and throat, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea. At a long period of intoxication, can cause dehydration, low blood pressure. If not treated, death will occur in 3 to 5 days
Daphne • Poisonous. Causes burns in the mouth and digestive tract, followed by coma. Can cause death.
Vinca • Must not be ingested, causes nausea, vomit, loss of hair, loss of hearing, dizziness, bleeding, nervous difficulties, convulsions, liver damage and death.
Asclepias tuberosa • Cardiac difficulties, nausea, vomit and skin rash.
Agave spp • The juice of a number of species causes acute contact dermatitis, with blistering lasting several weeks and recurring itching for several years thereafter.
Columbine (Aquilegia spp) • Seeds and roots contain cardiogenic toxins which cause both severe gastroenteritis and heart palpitations if consumed, columbine poisonings are easily fatal.
Mercurialis perennis • Symptons happen after some hours, they include vomit, pain, gastritis, renal inflammation and sleepiness.
Colocasia • All parts are poisonous and cause mouth and tongue irritation. Can be fatal.
Gelsemium • Extremely poisonous, even in low quantities. Causes headache, problems with vision, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, muscular complications, convulsions, respiratory complications and low blood pressure.
Laburnum • Causes excitation, loss of balance, convulsions and coma. Can be lethal.
Helleborus • Dangerous if ingested or applied on the skin. Cause irritation in the mouth and throat and low blood pressure. Big quantities can cause vomit, diarrhea, difficulties swallowing, nervous system complications, blindness, convulsion, paralysis, respiratory complications and death.
Ilex aquifolium • The fruits can be lethal and the leaves cause diarrhea, nausea, vomit, stomach and intestine complications.
Hedera helix • Causes stomach pain, respiratory complications and possible coma.
Impatiens capensis • Dangerous when ingested in big quantities.
Datura stramonium • Don’t inhale or ingest. Causes dry mouth, extreme thirst, vision complications, nausea, vomit, constipation, tachycardia, hallucinations, fever, convulsion, loss of conscience, respiratory complications and death.
Convallaria majalis • Causes irregular blood pressure and cardiac rhythm, indigestion and confusion.
Mandragora officinarum • Fogged vision, dry mouth, difficulties to urinate, headache, tachycardia, vomit and hallucinations.
Viscum album • Gastrointestinal discomfort, diarrhea, low blood pressure, convulsion. It is rarely lethal for humans.
Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor) • Diarrhea, indigestion, disorientation, loss of apetite, ataxy and hallucinations.
Artemisia vulgaris • Prolonged contact may be fatal, so it’s best to use in a open and ventilated place.
Oak (Quercus): In big quantities is poisonous and affects the renal kidneys.
Nerium oleander • Causes cardiac complications, indigestion and can cause death.
Taxus baccata • Fatal. No symptoms come as a warning.
Hypericum perforatum • Causes fatigue, dizziness, confusion, dry mouth and can affect medicaments.
Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia spp) • All parts of this plant contain toxins and are often fatal. Effects of ingestion may include losing connection with reality and hallucinations.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) • The leaves, seeds, and flowers are poisonous. These cause irregular heartbeat, general digestive upset, and confusion; can be fatal.
Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) • The bulbs are poisonous, causing nausea, vomiting, gasping, convulsions, and possibly death. Even handling the bulbs can cause skin irritation.
Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp) • Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten.
Frangipani (Plumeria spp) • Contact with the milky latex may irritate eyes and skin.
“There are several species of Hellebore. The name comes from the Greek words ‘elein’ (to injure) and 'bora’ (food), indicating that Helleborus is poisonous. In some belief systems, it’s been believed to be a purgative, sometimes of bad things generally, used for things like protecting livestock from evil spells & (in powdered form) for invisibility. According to herb lore, the roots of the hellebore plant are are used to treat melancholy diseases & madness.
The original name for Hellebore was
"Melampodium.” According to the Greek historian Pliny, the plant was named for the soothsayer Melampus who used it to cure depression in ancient times. On a happier note & in spite of poisonous nature of the plant, it is often called the “Christmas Rose” or “Christ herbe” because it blooms in winter.
Imagine the perfect non-stop summer bloomer with enormous impact all by itself, which is also deer proof. Meet Digiplexis ‘Illumination Flame,’ a cross between Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) and Isoplexis canariensis (Canary Island foxglove). This new hybrid blends the qualities of both plants, thanks to the efforts of Charles Valin, plant breeder at Thompson & Morgan. It received the Best New Plant Award at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show (2012), as well as the Greenhouse Grower’s Award of Excellence in 2013.
Multiple side branches emanating from this bushy basal-branched shrub produce flame-colored flower stalks all summer long, even into the fall. Because the plants are sterile, they don’t waste energy trying to go to seed, and this results in fast-growing, floriferous shrubs with vibrant, vertical flower stalks to 3’ in height in shades of watermelon, fuchsia and mango. And while that may sound delicious, Digiplexis has the same toxins as its relative, Digitalis, so all parts of the plant are poisonous. If you use the plant in cut flower arrangements, dispose of the water safely because the toxins will seep from the stalks into the water. The foliage may also cause skin irritation, so handle it with caution.
Digiplexis can be used in seasonal color beds as a backdrop to other annuals, or grown in large containers. It will take part shade to full sun, and blooms from April until the first frost.
DISCLAIMER: This post is for educational purposes only. You assume moral and legal responsibility if anyone gets hurt by a plant that you grow. Make sure that your garden is not accessible by anyone who is ignorant of the danger, especially children or animals.
Foxglove(Digitalis) is a genus of about twenty biennial (lives for two years) and perennial (lives for more than two years) herbaceous plants and shrubs. Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is the most common garden variety, with many cultivars to consider.
They can grow rather tall - up to two metres (six feet) for the common foxglove. The leaves are oval, hairy, with a toothed margin; they start out in a rosette, with alternating distribution on the stem.
Theflowering season is in early summer (late spring in warmer zones). The flowers themselves are dainty, beautiful, and deadly. They’re arranged in an elongated cluster, with each flower large enough to fit over a finger like a thimble (as you can guess by the name). They’re usually purple in colour, with the inside heavily spotted, but white, pink, or yellow cultivars also exist.
Peloric mutations, where a plant produces a flower with an abnormal number of petals and radial, star-like symmetry, are also very common in foxgloves.
A peloric D.purpurea flower.
Favoured conditions
Temperature range: Seeds germinate at soil temperature above 20C (70F). Foxgloves are hardy at zones 4-10 (look your region up on the hardiness zone map), but may wilt if it gets hotter than 30C (90F)
Light: From full sun to partial shade. Foxgloves are woodland flowers, so they can tolerate lack of sunlight.
Soil: Any texture (sand, clay, or silt), with rich (fertile) soil preferred. Some sources say they prefer acidic soil, others say neutral pH. Both are certainly acceptable.
Water: Keep the ground moist but not wet; soil needs to be well-draining. No air humidity requirements.
Growing tips
Foxgloves propagate by seed. Like any biennial, foxgloves flower in their second year, so be patient and make sure to plant seeds for two years in a row to make sure you get flower annually.
They’ll self-sustain if allowed to re-seed themself, so you can leave the plants alone. But you can also remove wilted flowers - this is called deadheading and promotes a second bloom - or you can harvest the seeds yourself.
After the first year, cut the plant down to the crown, and cover in mulch if living in a colder region. If the flower clusters get too large, or if there is harsh weather such as wind or hail, they may require staking.
Foxgloves can be grown in containers, just make sure to pick one that’s sufficiently big. All in all, this is a plant that doesn’t require much fussing over.
Toxicity
That’s what you’re here for, aren’t you? All right.
Digitalisspecies contain a number of cardiac glycosides, specifically, cardenolides. Digoxin and digitoxin are the most studied of those.
Pharmacology:
Cardenolides are toxic to mammals through inhibition of Na+/K+‐ATPase, also known as the sodium-potassium pump. The differing concentrations of ions outside and inside a cell are used to maintain resting potential (to put it in an overly simple way: difference in charge on the inside and the outside), which, in excitable cells such as cardiac muscle or nerve cells, is crucial to their proper functioning.
Digoxin interferes with the functioning of the Na⁺/K⁺ pump; this results in an increased Na⁺ concentration inside the cell. That, in turn, leads to an increase in Ca⁺⁺ ions (because of another ion pump). Ca⁺⁺ influences heart contractions: heart rate goes down, blood pressure goes up, stroke volume increases.
As you might imagine, there’s a number of things that can go wrong. Bradycardia (low heart rate) or arrhythmia can ensue, which can lead to a cardiac arrest. Hyperkalaemia (high K+ concentration) can induce arrhythmia, but so can hypokalaemia (low K+ concentration) - more K+-binding sites are open for digoxin, increasing the effective concentration of digoxin within the heart.
Every part of the plant is highly toxic. Symptoms are non-specific: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, increased respiration rate, excitation, drowsiness, dizziness, apathy, confusion, and delirium. Vision disturbances can also happen - a specific interesting symptom is xanthopsia, seeing the world tinted with yellow. And, of course, cardiac disturbances - irregular heartbeat, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, sinoatrial block and AV block. In short, the most likely cause of death from a foxglove poisoning is cardiac arrest following arrhythmia or V-fib.
Detection: Very trivial. Elevated K+ levels and a particular appearance of the EKG - both would lead to a blood test being conducted, which should reveal the presence of digoxin.
Happy Halloween.
This was going to be a post on several different plants, but foxglove alone proved far too long. I’m breaking it into a series, so watch this space for more.
This week we had again another “hottest day of the year”. Since June, most of Europe experiences a near ceaseless heat and drought period. These hot days of summer are also referred to as “Dog Days” (Hundstage) and this year they live up to their name.
The Greek called them kynádes hēmérai, Romans adopted it, calling them dies caniculares. Historically the period began with the heliacal rising of the dog star Sirius (actually a star system) in the Northern Hemisphere, which Greek and Roman astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck, while to the Polynesians in the Southern Hemisphere the star marked winter and was an important reference for their navigation around the Pacific Ocean.
For my “Dog Days” incense I took inspiration from the paralyzing and deadly weather phenomenon.
The formula has been updated, with field eryngo (Eryngium campestre) being added to the baneful blend. In German language this type of thistle is also referred to as “Unruh” and “Elend” and the occurrence of clusters of broken off stems, similar to spiky tumbleweed carried forth by the wind, are named “Steppenhexen”. This stingy plant is almost impossible to touch or harvest without hurting yourself. Yet, and despite the heat and drought, it is frequented by dozens of bumblebees and other pollinators.
Beside obvious herbal references to the the dog/wolf totem, such as wolfsbane and mandrake, the incense contains also black and white henbane, which have been used in prophecy, baneful spells but also for rain magic. I burnt a good amount of it on this day, both to cleanse and bless a dog skull I found at the flea market, as well as to call for rain and cooling. It may have been simply good timing, but rain came the following morning.
I am often asked about side effects and dangers of burning venific incense blends – I can only speak for myself, I did not notice anything, apart from feeling more focused and empowered. I also sensed a relaxing effect on myself. A slight dizziness I attest to the burning sun and heat, not to the herbs.
Luckily, the worst heat seems to be over now and I look forward to enjoying the end of summer and working on art.
