Entangled: A Cabinet of Botanical Wonders (Library Mirabilis)

Entangled: A Cabinet of Botanical Wonders A Natural History of Medicinal Plants, Psychedelics, Poisonous Botanicals, and the Explorers Who Found Them Behind every empire's rise, beneath every garden wall, and within every seed lies a story of entanglement older than civilization itself. From the spice routes that reshaped continents to the flowers that bankrupted nations, plants have always been humanity's strangest partners and most patient teachers. Entangled explores this relationship through seven richly illustrated chapters spanning empires built on spices and stolen seeds, legendary gardens from Eden to Babylon's hanging terraces, carnivorous plants and the secret language of trees, medicinal discoveries from willow bark to deadly foxglove, obsessions that sparked tulip mania and orchid fever, the poisoner's cabinet of hemlock and nightshade, and sacred plants that dissolve the boundaries of consciousness. From Aztec ceremonies to Victorian plant hunters, from Chinese tea smugglers to Mao's mango cult, each entry reveals how plants have shaped human civilization through medicine, empire, madness, murder, and mystical revelation. Beautifully illustrated with Victorian-style botanical engravings featuring: Over 35 plants and their stories across seven themed chapters Historical accounts from orchid hunters to tea thieves Scientific discoveries from aspirin to alkaloids Extensive bibliography of botanical and historical sources For readers of: Natural history and ethnobotany Medicinal plants and psychoactive flora Plant exploration and historical obsessions Anyone fascinated by the hidden power of the botanical world From the Library Mirabilis series - Victorian-inspired volumes for naturalists, gardeners, historians, and all who sense that the green world holds stranger stories than we dare imagine. For naturalists and dreamers, gardeners and wanderers alike, this is a journey into the hidden wonder of the botanical world and a reminder that the roots of our story may reach deeper, and stranger, than we ever imagined. View Less