dirt / By Amy Stewart

Something Wicked

But! Here’s the good news. They learned that a plant toxin called cyclopamine causes the deformity by blocking a signal from the sonic hedgehog gene (yes, it’s named after the Sega video game character), thereby interrupting normal development in an embryo. The real breakthrough, however, was the realization that a number of cancers use that same sonic hedgehog signaling pathway. Prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and some brain tumors can be accelerated by weird signaling from this gene pathway. Using a poisonous plant extract from skunk cabbage to block that signal has the potential to be an effective treatment for these cancers.

None of this made it into my new book, so you’re getting the exclusive story right here. But a surprising number of poisonous plants have a fascinating backstory: the death camas bulb, which historians believe sickened members of the Lewis & Clark expedition; the poison hemlock that killed Socrates; the hellebore that was used by the Greeks as an ancient form of chemical warfare. And I have to confess that I had a glorious time researching (and, in some cases, living with) these villainous plants. I rounded up the most murderous, offensive, illicit and horrifying members of the plant kingdom, and had a fantastic time working with a young artist from Seattle named Briony Morrow-Cribbs, who created original copperplate etchings to illustrate the book. It just so happens that the name Briony is also the name of a poisonous plant, so I think our collaboration was meant to be.

We’re having a book launch party for Wicked Plants at Eureka Books on Saturday, May 2 from 6-9 as part of Arts Alive. I’ll have copies of the book for sale, fresh from the printer, and we’ll be exhibiting and selling Briony’s original art from the book. We’ve also made blank notecards with art from the book: There’s a set of six murderous plants called “Botanical Outlaws” and a set of six illicit and intoxicating plants called “Horticultural Hallucinations.” Oh, and I’ll probably sneak a few actual wicked plants into the store, so expect some deadly show-and-tell. Bring your friends — and your enemies. I’ll have something for each of them.

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But wait, there’s more! On May 1-3, 2009, the North Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant Society holds its Spring Wildflower Show and Native Plant Sale at the Manila Community Center. The plant sale is Saturday and Sunday only. For info, go to www.northcoastcnps.org.

Also, Cindy Graebner of Fickle Hill Old Rose Nursery tells me she’ll be open this year on three Sundays: May 24, June 14, and July 12, all from 1-4, and you’ll see something different in bloom every time. Right now she has an agave relative called Beschornaria yuccoides with an eight foot-tall bloom. You’re going to want to see that. She’s located at 282 Fickle Hill Rd in Arcata, and if you’ve never been, be sure to get over there this year. She’s got some amazing old roses and many other plants to die for, and her garden is a lovely place to hang out. Take your mom, take your friends, make an afternoon of it.

And while we’re doing announcements: Garden designer Genevieve Schmidt is building a comprehensive list of North Coast garden events, workshops, resources, plant sales, and so forth at northcoastgardening.com. Stop by to find out what’s coming up, plant-wise, around the county, and submit your events and updates to her if you have them.

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