A toxic tour of the high-security facility with more than a hundred plants that could kill you. “Look, don’t touch” is the motto at Alnwick’s poison garden in Northumberland, unless you’re a ...

Casey Gallagher, MD, is a dermatologist and clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Colorado Denver. Castor oil, which comes from the Ricinus communis plant, is ...

Brian Callahan took this photo in his garden in the Valley of a California vole (Microtus californicus) that made an ...

Insects that feed on starch can find veritable feasts in corn, pea, and bean crops or warehouses. It is no coincidence that the ancestors of these commercial plants developed α-amylase inhibitor ...

Juniper was effective against witches, while foxglove was feared as the witches’ plant. In the past, plants were believed to ...

Castor oil, which comes from the Ricinus communis plant, is commonly used as a laxative. More recently, there has been a growing interest in its use for skincare. The oil contains a compound called ...

Poison ivy demands respect and challenges our epidemic of “plant blindness.” It’s getting more noxious with rising carbon dioxide levels. Poison ivy can be found in many forms. It can climb trees—as ...

Certain vegetables are extremely generous, giving more to your garden than they take. For instance, legume plants are capable of adding nitrogen to your garden soil, enhancing its fertility. Many ...