Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore and Magic

Take a walk through mystical, magical, and historical gardens to discover cultivars and edible plants that have captured our hearts and minds for centuries. Will you dare to pick a golden apple or seize the perfect rose? Sneak through the iron gatesof the poison garden where the lascivious and life-saving plants intertwine. Gallop through meadow grass, skirt the boggy glen, amble through woodlands where magical plants beckon from the forest floor. Plant lover and lover of the bizarre Varla Ventura brings together forgotten lore with the magic and medicine of plants for the ultimate romp through a botanical wonderland. Includes excerpts from fairy tales and a lively discussion of each plant's magical and medicinal properties. Enchanted Plants is arranged by general environment, such as cultivated plants and edibles; toxic plants; meadowlands; the woods; marshes and swamps; and tropical plants. Each chapter contains a cultivated selection of plants, arranged alphabetically by popular common name, with additional information including botanical name, additional “common” names, folklore, ethnobotanical properties, magical and occult properties, and modern usage, if applicable.