Welcome to Mushroom Week on Nature’s Poisons, where I’ll highlight two poisonous mushrooms, one that severely sickens and one that can kill. Check back on Tuesday and Thursday for the history, chemistry and science of these two fungi. I plan on covering more poisonous mushrooms over time, so be patient, but if there’s one you’re … Continue reading
Ackee is a tropical fruit native to West Africa, where it is known as akye, but it is legendary in Jamaica. Brought to the Caribbeans in the 18th century, it is the National Fruit of Jamaica and one half of Jamaica’s signature dish, ackee and saltfish. Ackee is a member of the Sapindaceae family, an extensive … Continue reading
In search of a psychedelic high, some teenager, somewhere, will turn to nutmeg. Yes, that aromatic spice used in pumpkin pie and eggnog can take you for a trip. And people have been trippin’ on nutmeg for centuries. Nutmeg dates back to Indonesia and the “Spice Islands” near the turn of the 16th century. Then, … Continue reading
Shamrocks have become the symbol of the Irish and of St. Patrick’s Day. In the United States hundred of thousands of shamrock plants will be given to families and children in celebration of Leprechauns and green beer (ewww). But while some may consider shamrocks lucky – who doesn’t feel lucky when they find a four-leafed … Continue reading
Wormwood, and its chemicals and concoctions, has an interesting history, and it’s difficult to know where to start. And whenever I’m in doubt, I start at the beginning, despite what my favorite author says (see rule 5). The plant genus Artemisia houses over 300 species, and includes the common sagebrush, as well as the cool sounding mugwort and … Continue reading
Queen of Poisons. Where do you go from there? And names like that aren’t usually given away, you have to earn them. So how exactly did aconitine receive this highest honor? By being a bad ass, of course. The genus Aconitum is comprised of over 200 species of flowering plants, and grow in damp and part-shade areas … Continue reading
That smoking tobacco products is unhealthy comes as no surprise to any individual with a pulse. It is impossible for me to imagine someone thinking that inhaling smoke into their lungs could be anything less than harmful. Firefighters wear sixty pounds of respiration gear for the sole purpose of not inhaling smoke. But I digress. … Continue reading
Homepage featured image of Colchicum autumnale by ukgardenphotos (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) Colchicum autumnale, the autumn crocus, the meadow saffron. I am neither a botanist, nor a taxonomist, so when something is called a crocus I naturally assume it is, well, a crocus. Silly me. They aren’t even in the same family, let alone order. They … Continue reading
On every street corner in America there resides a Starbucks. On the counter of every gas station there lives an energy drink display. In every pharmacy there is a No-Doz section. Mountain Dew by the caseload in gamers’ basements. Coke and Pepsi in a cage match. What’s the common denominator here? Caffeine. And lots of … Continue reading
One of Nature’s most intriguing poisons, to me at least, is scopolamine. Where else can you find a natural product with such a colorful history? Scopolamine has its roots in witchcraft, zombies, crime, murder, and a top-secret CIA program. Seriously, how can one not love this stuff? If any drug could be called evil, this … Continue reading
A Florida teen, 19-year-old Jesse William Korff, was arrested for allegedly selling one of the world’s most deadly poisons, abrin, to undercover federal agents. Korff used the online Black Market Reloaded (BMR) to sell the deadly poison in exchange for relatively untraceable Bitcoins and cash. The bust also revealed a pipe bomb and a methamphetamine lab. … Continue reading
Everywhere we live, sleep, play, and breathe we are surrounded by Nature’s poisons. From poisonous plants and deadly mushrooms, to venomous snakes and anthrax toxins. Mother Nature clearly isn’t happy with us. And I can’t say I blame her. There are thousands of plants that are poisonous to humans (and animals). For instance, apple seeds … Continue reading
Nature's Poisons 