A tree that shoots poison arrows. A bright red seed that stops the heartbeat. A shrub that causes unbearable pain, a climbing plant that intoxicates, a leaf that sparks a war. This book contains all the essential information about the nastiest plants, the wickedest flowers, and the meanest growths: they lurk not only in distant lands but also right in our front gardens and living rooms. Amy Stewart tells us about these botanical devilries while weaving in history, literature, politics, and folklore. A book as if from Harry Potter's library, a chronicle of the quirky and the everyday magic.