Tour Ozone’s Poison Garden
Here at Sock Dreams we employ many a gardening enthusiast, who are, of course, also sock enthusiasts. Thus it should come as no surprise that some of us are really, really into Ozone’s Witches Garden and Apothecary Florals collections. These lines feature poisonous and medicinal plants that are as interesting as they are beautiful. If, like us, you dream of touring the poison garden at Alnwick Gardens, but don’t get a lot of chances to visit England, these may be just the socks for you! Join us on a virtual walk through Ozone’s poison garden…
A photo of signage at Alnwick’s Poison Garden, taken by Jo Jakeman, from flickr.
Disclaimer: we here at Sock Dreams do not recommend ingesting any of the plants described below, even if they aren’t explicitly listed as toxic. We are not doctors, chemists or botanists, and while we do enjoy learning about poisonous plants, we are far from qualified to claim that any of these are safe to use under any circumstances! Please assume that they are not.
When Ozone first released their Witches Garden collection, it consisted of four styles: Morning Glory, Devil’s Breath, Belladonna, and Amanita Muscara. Each label had “recipes” listing different combinations of these socks, for various magical purposes. We love the idea of sock spells, and it’s so much safer than using actual poisonous plants! Of course, we find it’s just as fun knowing why you should not actually ingest these plants…The Morning Glory Crews depict what may be one of several blue morning glory species, but we suspect that it’s the infamous ipomoea tricolor, or “Heavenly Blue” shown here.
Though the seeds of this strain are known for their mild psychedelic effects, there are lots of good reasons not to use them as such (not to mention the inherent dangers of using any psychedelic substance). The seeds don’t just contain a mild psychedelic - they also contain glycosides, which cause nausea. Most people who have tried to abuse morning glory seeds report unpleasant stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting, which tend to outweigh any potentially positive effects. Additionally, many commercially available seeds are chemically treated to deter people from abusing them. All in all, we strongly suggest sticking to the socks.
Next on our tour, we come upon a cluster of brightly colored mushrooms. Their red caps are dotted with white spots, and something about them just screams out to us, “don’t eat me!” It is the Amanita Muscara, or “fly aragic” and this is one seriously toxic toadstool.
Though historically there have been cases of death from amanita poisoning, modern medicine has luckily been very successful in treating it. So successful, in fact, that there hasn’t been a confirmed report of death from poisoning by these fungi in over 100 years! Of course, even non-deadly poisoning is going to be a bad time, so really, don’t try these at home, in the woods, or anywhere else.
Next up is a big, shrubby plant covered in purple, bell-shaped flowers and shiny black berries. It is Belladonna, or atropa belladonna if we’re being formal. Also known as deadly nightshade, this plant has a long history of being used as a poison by ancient Romans, an anesthetic prior to the middle ages, and even as a cosmetic!
The name belladonna is Italian for “beautiful woman,” and the plant is called this because during the renaissance, Italian women used it to make eye drops which dilated their pupils, as dark eyes were considered more alluring at the time. In fact, the dilating drops used by optometrists have the active ingredient atropine, which is the same dilating chemical found in belladonna!
Continuing down the garden path, a stand of pendulous, orange, trumpet-shaped flowers catches our eye. It is brugmansia, also known as Devil’s Breath or, conversely, angel’s trumpet. All parts of this plant are toxic, but the seeds and leaves are especially so.
Mostly grown for ornamental purposes, the consequences of consuming this plant are dire. In addition to unpleasant symptoms such as tachycardia, migraines and death, devil’s breath can also cause hallucinations which are known for being terrifying. While indigenous South American cultures have traditionally used this plant for medicinal purposes, we strongly advice against trying this yourself. In 1994, 112 people were admitted to hospitals for brugmansia poisoning in Florida alone. The concentration of toxic alkaloids varies widely from plant to plant, which makes determining a safe dosage nearly impossible. [source]
Moving out of the original portion of the garden, we discover an area added on later… it seems the garden was expanded by popular demand at some point. In the addition we come across a plant which features purple star-shaped blooms, and which seems to have attracted caterpillars and butterflies! It is solanum dulcamara, or Woody Nightshade, a cousin of the potato.
In Medieval times woody nightshade was thought to ward off witchcraft when worn, though in North America it is currently considered a highly invasive species, which makes it rather less desirable. Though fatal human poisonings are not common, this plant is toxic. The socks, conveniently, are not.
Just past the nightshade we spy bright spears of bell-shaped flowers rocketing out of the ground. They are digitalis, or Fairy Gloves, even more commonly known as fox gloves. While many people the world over grow this biennial as an ornamental flower (many of us Portlanders even find them volunteering in our gardens each spring) is it important to exercise caution regarding pets and children, as these beautiful flowers are, you guessed it, poisonous!
Bioluminescent Spores Crews
As we enter a shady grove of trees, our eye is caught by something glowing… what in the world could it be? Why, it is the elusive Bioluminescent Spores, and though 80 different species (including some poisonous ones!) can be found in temperate and tropical forests around the world, to do so involves being in the woods at night, without a flashlight. While this can be very fun in a controlled setting such as Outdoor School, it can be very dangerous in some areas. For easier thrills, we suggest wearing the socks under blacklight!
Poppies Crew * Marigold Crew * Echinacea Crew
Continuing down the path through the trees, we return at last to the light, and leaving the poison garden, we find the relative safety of the apothecary’s garden. The flowers found here have traditionally been used in folk medicine, though we’re still definitely not suggesting that you go out and eat them (or any other plants you’re not sure about). Luckily for us, these flowers all have important symbolic meanings, which means their socks do to! Poppies for sleep and peace, Marigolds to represent the sun, and Echinacea for strength and prosperity.
♥ - Rosalind
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