This is likely because their branches were commonly used as dowsing rods by Native Americans and European settlers.Ĭommon witchhazel is native to eastern North America, including Illinois. The witch in witch hazel comes from the Anglo-Saxon word wyche, which means pliant or bendable. In fact, its name has nothing to do with witches. Unlike these other plants, the only scary thing about common witchhazel ( Hamamelis virginiana) is its name. Various preparations of belladonna are used as lotions, plasters, and salves to relieve pain from sciatica, gout, and cardiac palpitations.” Atropine is also used as an antidote to opium and chloroform poisoning. Forest Service: “Ophthalmologists use atropine to dilate their patient’s pupils for eye-exams and surgery. There are some redeeming qualities of these plants, though. It was also believed to be used by witches to help them fly. There is a long history of using these plants to dispatch one’s foes. Handling plants can also cause problems, as the toxins can be absorbed through the skin and cause severe dermatitis. However, as few as two berries can kill a child ten berries are often enough to kill an adult. The berries of these plants are purplish-black and sweet, making them a tempting food source. Symptoms of poisoning include rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils, delirium, vomiting, hallucinations, and death due to respiratory failure. All parts of these plants are toxic (contain tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine). They may not be reliably hardy in many parts of Illinois, so find a warm microclimate (probably not close to your front door or windows) or dig the bulbs in the fall and overwinter them indoors.ĭeadly nightshade ( Atropa belladonna), also known as Devil’s cherries and belladonna, are incredibly poisonous plants. If you want to try your hand at growing these scary-sounding and smelling plants, they grow best in well-drained soils in full sun. The plants are fly pollinated and smell horrible, similar to rotten meat. The spathes are maroon-purple in color, and if you know much about pollinator syndromes, you know what that means. These flowers (actually the spathe) can be 20 inches tall and 8 inches wide. Others say the name is in reference to fang-like spadix (flower) the plants will produce. Each leaf has 9-15 finger-like lobes that are said to resemble the claws of a dragon. Looking at the leaves of these plants, you can also see how it got its name. It is one of only two species of plants in its genus, Dracunculus, which is one way it gets its common name (Latin for small dragon). Dragon arum ( Dracunculus vulgaris) is a scary sounding plant that is native to southeastern Europe (Balkans).
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