11 minute read
GARDENING
Poisonous but beautiful blue-hooded аconite made headlines in 2009 after a woman laced her ex-lover’s curry with poison derived from the plant
One man’s poison
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While the RHS lists well over 100 plants that can cause us potential harm, serious poisoning is uncommon in the UK and many powerful plant substances are used in homeopathic medicine. The difference is often in the dose, says Elly West
When we sit in the garden listening to the birds and enjoying the colours and scents of our carefully nurtured plants, one would hope they are doing us nothing but good and encouraging only positive thoughts. But throughout history, plants have been misused for misdeeds and responsible for fatalities, harbouring some of the most deadly poisons known.
Long before modern drugs, chemicals and warning labels on cleaning products, the great outdoors would be the first place to look if murder was on the mind. Symptoms of poisoning were similar to those of many diseases, and given the difficulty of finding the poison in the body, criminals in days gone by had a good chance of escaping punishment.
Stories of poisoning run through history and make interesting and often gory reading, from Ancient Greek and Roman times, through the Middle Ages and into the Victorian era. Royals wary of assassins would have ‘tasters’ to confirm their food was safe to eat, and it’s said that Louis XIV was so afraid of being poisoned that he employed 324 servants to monitor his meals.
Some of these stories can be traced to Atropa belladonna, more commonly known as deadly nightshade – a herbaceous perennial in the same family of plants as tomatoes and potatoes. It sometimes pops up as a weed in gardens, and can be found in woodland and along paths and banks. All parts of the plant are poisonous, but it’s the shiny black berries that pose the real danger.
During the Renaissance, a beauty tonic was made from the leaves and berries to redden the skin and dilate the pupils, which gave rise to the name belladonna, or ‘beautiful lady’. However, the berries contain atropine, which can also cause paralysis, hallucinations, convulsions and death. The Roman emperor Claudius was famously poisoned with deadly nightshade, at the hand of the serial killer Locusta who was hired by Claudius’ wife, Agrippina the Younger.
However, as with many potent plant-based substances, its powers have also been harnessed for the good, and it has many modern-day medicinal applications including being used in pain relievers and antiinflammatories, and by eye surgeons to dilate the pupils.
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is another dangerous plant with a long history of misuse. Although it’s not native to this country, it can be found across the countryside in ditches and along riverbanks. This tall green plant is often mistaken for harmless cow parsley, with its feathery leaves and umbels of white flowers, however hemlock has distinctive purple blotches on its smooth green stems. All parts of the plant contain poisonous alkaloids that can be fatal even in small amounts when ingested. Just touching the plant can cause a skin reaction, but eating it can cause a slow death by paralysis, leading to respiratory failure.
According to Christian mythology, the plant became poisonous while growing at the site of Jesus’ crucifixion. His blood touched the plant, turning it toxic. In Ancient Greece, hemlock was used to poison condemned prisoners. Socrates was famously sentenced to death by
hemlock, as punishment for corrupting the minds of young men in Athens, and forced to drink the poison by his own hand.
Despite the Royal Horticultural Society listing well over 100 plants that can cause potential harm on the advice pages of its website (rhs.org.uk), serious poisoning by plants is uncommon in the UK. However, it’s common sense to teach children not to play with or eat growing plants (and to follow this advice as an adult!) and to use gloves when pruning or weeding. Check plant labels for toxicity warnings, and avoid anything poisonous if you have pets or children that are likely to nibble your garden plants. If you suspect a child or adult (or pet) has eaten something poisonous from the garden, seek medical advice and take a sample of the plant with you.
Foxgloves are among the most common garden plants that cause concern, although recorded incidents of poisoning are rare. All parts of the plant contain cardiac glycosides, which can cause nausea, diarrhoea and skin irritation. However, like most plants that are on the RHS list, they are very unlikely to cause harm unless eaten in quantity.
Monkshood, also known as aconite, is another beautiful plant commonly grown in gardens, but one of the UK’s most poisonous. It made headlines in 2009 when a woman was convicted of murder after lacing her ex-lover’s curry with poison derived from the plant – the first case of aconite poisoning in England since 1882. Its attractive hooded blue flowers make it popular, and there are also cultivars in pink, yellow and white. However, every bit of it is poisonous, especially the roots, which can affect the heart and be fatal in large doses.
Like many other powerful plant substances, aconite is used in homeopathic medicine to treat anxiety, headaches and colds, along with other ailments. As they say, the difference between medicine and poison is in the dose. However, with tobacco linked to more than eight million deaths per year, this probably makes the tobacco plant, Nicotiana, by far the most deadly plant in the world. n
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Plant of the month: Brugmansia (Angel's trumpets)
This show-stopping plant flowers at the end of summer, into autumn, with large trumpet-like flowers dangling from sturdy stems. Hailing from tropical climes, brugmansia won’t survive hard frosts, but can be grown outside in a sheltered spot over the summer months where it will make a tropical statement on a patio or in a border. For this reason, it’s best to keep it in a pot, then bring it under cover into a cool greenhouse or cellar before the first frosts for a period of winter dormancy. Alternatively it can be grown indoors in a conservatory as a houseplant, but you’ll need space as it can easily reach a good couple of metres in height. Prune in autumn after flowering to keep the size in check, but wear gloves as the sap can irritate skin. In the same family as deadly nightshade, all parts of the plant are poisonous, particularly the leaves and seeds, which can cause paralysis, hallucinations, migraine headaches and even death if ingested.
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Families move in to Bristol’s 15 Minute Neighbourhood
ABristol neighbourhood, which grew up around a chocolate factory 100 years ago, is now being hailed as a perfect example of the latest 21st Century concept being used worldwide to design places to live.
In San Francisco and New York the “15 Minute neighbourhood” concept is being used by urban planners to design places to live where everything you need is within 15 minutes walk or cycle.
Greenbank, Bristol, meets all the criteria. Originally the chocolate factory provided work alongside a railway line. Now the former factory is being transformed into modern homes alongside the Bristol & Bath Railway Path that provides a convenient and efficient cycling, walking and gentle exercise route.
“15 Minute Neighbourhoods” have been defined as places where all residents live within a short walk of a good school, rapid transit, a place to buy fresh food and a park. Sustainability and an urban lifestyle are also part of the concept.
Among the first people to enjoy the new lifestyle are a local family who sold their Victorian house in St Anne’s, Bristol, to move into a new three-bedroom terraced home at The Chocolate Factory.
Alex, an account manager for a tech solutions company who works from home, said: “There is a real community feel about the neighbourhood with letters dropping through our letterbox from neighbours and invitations to join in local activities and Whatsapp groups.
“As cyclists it is great to be just two minutes from the Bristol & Bath Railway path so we can cycle out towards Keynsham and Bath for a leisurely ride or into the city centre without being on main roads. “St Anne’s was our first home and we wanted to move into something new that is low maintenance as we were fed up maintaining a 100year-old house. The house is actually slightly smaller than our old house but I really like the open plan downstairs as it is easier to keep an eye on our baby Luisa while in the kitchen.
“We have explored the area and there are great pubs and places for brunch and we really like the Public Market for fresh fruit and vegetables and the Sweet Mart and other shops in St Mark’s Road. I lived in London at one time and this has the same feel as those fashionable London villages.”
Alex, his wife Lisey, daughter Luisa and dog Mel have bought in a new build section of the development by Generator Group South West. Apartments and townhouses in the former factory buildings, will also be created as part of 140 new homes, a central square and retail store and office units.
Jason Schofield, Development Director of Generator South West, said: “What everyone has learned over the last few years is that it is possible for many people to work from home and that has put greater emphasis on what you have nearby.
“To be able to work at home and walk to some great shops and a park has become more important. To be able to cycle into the city centre or to Temple Meads to catch a train and have everything you need in close proximity is the way that people now want to live. “While others are planning where they might put their 15 Minute Neighbourhoods, as usual Bristol is ahead of the game with Greenbank.”
A new showhome has just opened at The Chocolate Factory and details can be found at: www.chocolatefactorybristol.com
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