Poison gardens
And a writing update
Plants are amazing. The amount of use we get from them. The cures, the analgesics, the ones that we eat, the ones we can build homes from, the ones that add flavour, and the ones that just look beautiful and bring joy to our lives. So of course, I'm not going to talk about any of those ones today. Instead, I'm going to be talking about the poisons. The ones that are super useful in fiction, because they're a useful aid to move the plot along, get rid of a pesky traitor, or save our protagonist when all hope seems lost.
Did you know that in England there is a poison garden that you can visit? There's a no touching/eating/sniffing rule, for obvious reasons, but that hasn't stopped some visitors from fainting on their tour. No deaths apparently. At least, not yet. The gothic black gates, and stern warning signs all add to the sense of drama - this is a space that demands to be taken seriously, that will haunt your very dreams.
Sounds scary, right? Let’s look at some of the plants that can be found in this particular poison garden. Beginning with Ricinus communis, the world’s most poisonous common plant. That’s correct - common. Its toxicity comes from the presence of ricin, a substance that can be used as a biological weapon. Yikes. But it’s also used to produce castor oil - commonly found in health shops and with documented use stretching back about 6000 years.
Laburnum is another of the featured species. I may be biased here, but a tree that was growing in my childhood garden isn’t something that immediately strikes fear into my heart. The seeds are certainly poisonous - but this beautiful tree is also often used for making cabinets and instruments. Belladonna is the third plant I’ll mention here. Not only incredibly toxic, causing unpleasant hallucinations and convulsions, this deadly nightshade is well-established in myth and literature as the property of the Devil, and as a sign of betrayal. Early humans used it as a poison on arrows, and rumours of its use appear at various times throughout history - including the alleged cause of death of Emperor Augustus. It’s common in woodlands, and happily eaten by cows and rabbits!
All of these plants, toxic though they may be, are not exactly rare. Nor is toxicity their only trait. All three I’ve mentioned - although admittedly there are over 100 plants in the poison garden - are not only commonly found in England, but knowledge of them is widespread. They are easily recognised, and consumption warned against from childhood.
As a fantasy writer, this is an important realisation. When crafting a new world, filled with danger and treachery, the protagonist might not need to travel far to find lethal poisons. There’s no need to travel to a specific herbalist to be told that a specific plant will surely kill their enemy if placed into their wine glass. Rather, we can expect that this is common knowledge, at least from any character who may have grown up in any semblance of rurality. And this can make our new worlds all the more believable.
On a writing note, I’ve been busy finishing off the editing of A Quartz Storm. Beta readers can expect to see a version arrive in the next 2-3 weeks. I’ve also started writing a series for kids, Dragon Sanctuary, at the request of my two boys. They’re the strictest bosses I’ve had, so new instalments are being regularly produced on demand! I’m undecided what I’ll do with this particular set of stories, but as long as the kids are enjoying it, I’ll keep writing.
That would be awesome to visit and see all the plants.