Herbarium of the Bizarre

a.k.a Monkshood or Aconite

This episode has it all: murderers, witches, werewolves, vampires, and tips for your poison garden! And it would have been on time, if not for Spectrum. 😒

Music by James M…

Spooky, scary mushrooms are glowing in the forest. 👻

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https:/id.biodiversity.org.au/node/fungi/60094367#ov…

Someday I should cover the plantain fruit, too, just to be chaotic—I mean informative.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/plantain-wee…

We’re getting a bit of a head start on Spooky Season. Poisonous mushrooms! Political intrigue! Murder most foul! Like, seriously. So foul. And I’m pretty sure this is at least the second time Nero ha…

Happy Friday the 13th! This plant has nothing to do with that, I just wanted to say it. We’re actually talking about Sunflowers, because they’re seasonal and they have taken over our front yard for s…

I’m back, everyone! My voice doesn’t sound the best still, but I’m plowing ahead anyway. For the belated final week of Southern Plant Month, let’s meet the most hated plant in the South: kudzu.

If y…

Today, we’re talking about the world’s favorite natural fiber. It’s pretty strange, if you think about it, that Cotton plants grow these fluffy, candy floss clouds.

To be clear, it’s cotton boll, no…

This one goes out to you, D’Bravius. I have never known anyone else to get so excited about a Magnolia tree.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://shop.arborday.org/t…

With (sort of) special appearances by Tobin Bell, Rosalind Franklin, and a 19th-century Dutch scientist whose name I certainly did not get right.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provi…

I actually planned to have two parts this time. And I hope this goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: this podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes, not medical advice. Please, pl…

Special thanks to Brooke for suggesting today’s episode topic, Mariposa Lilies. Also, “mariposa” and “lily” have ceased to sound like words to me.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information prov…

Should there ever be another toilet paper shortage, just grow this plant in your yard, and you’ll be good to go.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.theguardian…

We haven’t done a fungus in a while, and this one was separately sent to me by both of my parents. So, it was practically an order from on high.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provid…

I was hoping this plant was going to be a little more explode-y, but you can paint and make cheese with it, so that’s pretty cool.

I didn’t really think about the fact that my day off was also the d…

I’m trying a new thing today. Y’all will get to hear my “radio voice.” Is that a treat or a punishment? You tell me.

Music by James Milor from Pixabay

Information provided by:

1. https://www.carnivo…

Our plant this week is Desert Cotton, which is also known as Kapok Bush. It turns out there is also a Kapok Tree, and that was totally not confusing at all when we were researching this episode. 😵‍💫

Our plant today symbolizes both war and healing. It’s been used to make beer, soup, and tea, but if you see it in the wild, you would probably just think it’s a weed. Which it is, but a useful one.

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I forgot to mention this in the episode, so bonus fact: mad honey poisoning can theoretically be fatal, but no one has actually died from it since the 1800s. These days, we have treatments for severe…

Featuring several detours into catmint, which is almost, but not quite, the same thing.

Article on catnip from my defunct blog: https://encyclopaediafelidae.com/crazy-for-catnip/

Music by James Mil…

It’s one of history’s favorite poisons, Deadly Nightshade! It’s also one of my favorite plants, because it is both pretty and horribly toxic. The flowers are my favorite color!

Music by James Milor …