The Folklore of Deadly Nightshade: Devils, Witches, and Murder

Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna) is part of the Solanaceae family, which also contains peppers, aubergines, tomatoes and potatoes! This most famous of poisonous plants is also known as belladonna, banewort, deadly dwale, Devil’s cherries, or death’s herb.

The deadly nature of belladonna was noted as far back as 1550 BC. It's not a particularly common plant in the wild, although it does prefer woodland.

Yet it’s not necessarily a plant you might rush out to grow. You might also be hard-pressed to use it for meaningful communication. According to Mrs Burke's Language of Flowers dictionary, nightshade meant 'truth'. In the same book, belladonna is listed with the meaning 'silence'.

So how does this plant appear in folklore, besides its links to the Devil and witchcraft? Let’s find out in this week's episode of Fabulous Folklore!

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