Witch's Garden : Plants in Folklore, Magic and Traditional Medicine (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

Witch's Garden describes over 50 of the world's most powerful magical plants and their uses, mythical and proven. Wise women, apothecaries, witches, herbalists: whatever you call them, those who use plants for their fabled mystical and healing properties have existed for thousands of years. From the screaming mandrake to calming St John's Wort, and from healing yarrow to poisonous henbane, the history of esoteric species is often as dark and mysterious as the art of herbalism itself. Including tales of remedies for everything from bad weather and broken hearts to protection from evil and achieving immortality, Witch's Garden features exquisite botanical illustrations and fascinating specimens held within the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, while archival images depicting occult practices evoke the bewitching nature of these curious species.