This week to celebrate the return of Jujutsu Kaisen AND Rooted as a weekly podcast, we're asking an important question- What would *really* happen if you ate a dead Man's finger? Find out with me in this weeks episode and be sure to tune in to season 3 starting TOMORROW!

*I am still getting the hang of my new set up, so please excuse the slightly scrappy editing- in 2026 we're working on it AND on letting go of perfection for the sake of progress.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummia

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dead-mans-fingers/#:~:text=Dead%20man's%20fingers%20are%20sexual,in%20contact%20with%20each%20other.

https://foragerchef.com/dead-mans-fingers-xylaria-polymorpha/

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/xylaria-polymorpha

https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/0c241c08-fe9c-4ffa-a37f-1d9784589ca5/content

https://research.wsu.edu/news/dead-mans-fingers-alien-eggs-and-zombies-unwrapping-the-weird-charismatic-lives-of-fungi

https://krocnews.com/ixp/1172/p/dead-mans-fingers-fungus-minnesota/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9124809/

https://www.thewildroom.com/green-sea-fingers

https://thealgaehunter.com/seaweed-types/codium-dead-mans-fingers/

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/dead-mans-fingers

Welcome back to Rooted! To ease my way back from the break, we're doing a quick review of some of the plants scientists discovered in 2025!

Sources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-the-wooly-devil-the-first-new-plant-genus-discovered-in-a-national-park-since-1976-180986117/

This week we are back with another deadly poison and true crime case, this time featuring an old favorite - Hemlock! If you like fun facts, folklore, or story heavy episodes, this one is for you!

PS- sorry it is late! Between the technical difficulties and health issues it was starting to feel like this one might never see the light of day, but here we are! And we'll be back next week with an episode filled with plant secrets, botany drama, and a salacious scheme from rival businesses..I promise it will be worth the wait.

This week we're focusing on fungus, but continuing our deadly poisons series with Death Cap Mushrooms. These absolutely lethal little guys are killers in disguise, making them one of the most lethal poisons out there. Tune in to learn what makes them so dangerous and how they were used in a Beef Wellington that would send Gordon Ramsay to the grave.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides
• https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/deathcap/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26375431/
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691515300594?via%3Dihub
• https://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/prevention-public-health/death-cap-mushrooms
• https://www.npr.org/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5383874/erin-patterson-murder-trial-poison-mushroom-australia
• https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/08/erin-patterson-sentence-australia-mushroom-murder-ntwnfb

Looking for more Rooted Content? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our corner of the internet⁠⁠⁠⁠! You'll find our transcripts, show notes, and so much more.

*Disclaimer- This content is for entertainment purposes only. I am just a lady who likes plants, which in no way qualifies me to give you advice on well...anything, really. As always, please consult with your medical care team before making any changes to your diet or medications. *

As a special bonus episode in the Deadly Poisons series we've lovingly remastered an old favorite! This week we’re digging into cosmetic turned conspirator- Belladonna. If empowered ladies, wacky medical history, ancient makeup, or valkyries are your vibe, you won't want to miss this one.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna

https://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/3133

https://www.thecottagemystic.com/belladonna.html

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/belladonna.shtml

https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/deadly-nightshade-botanical-biography

https://eldrum.co.uk/2016/01/20/hecates-herbs-part-one/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odin-Norse-deity

https://www.lifeinnorway.net/valkyries/

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4253115

https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/deadly-nightshade-botanical-biography#:~:text=Belladonna%20means%20%27beautiful%20woman%27%20in,to%20name%20just%20a%20few.

https://www.ambius.com/resources/blog/plant-profile/history-of-the-deadly-nightshade-plant#:~:text=During%20the%20Middle%20Ages%2C%20a,that%20was%20seen%20as%20fashionable.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/atropa-belladonna

https://imss.org/2020/05/01/a-note-from-the-collections-from-assassinations-to-witches-brews-the-troubled-history-of-the-belladonna-plant/

by BackgroundMusicLab from Pixabay

by freesound_community from Pixabay

Looking for more Rooted Content? ⁠⁠⁠Check out our corner of the internet⁠⁠⁠! You'll find our transcripts, show notes, and so much more.

*Disclaimer- This content is for entertainment purposes only. I am just a lady who likes plants, which in no way qualifies me to give you advice on well...anything, really. As always, please consult with your medical care team before making any changes to your diet or medications. *

For part 3 in the deadly poisons series we're taking a closer look at cyanide. Whether you realize it or not, you interact with cyanide a lot more than you probably think, and while this one is a bit less focused on a specific plant, we still cover a LOT of ground, including why plants develop poisonous compounds, cures, and cults.

Sources:

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/tsp/substances/ToxSubstance.aspx?toxid=19

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/thiosulfate

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507796/#:~:text=Cyanide%20toxicity%20is%20a%20rare,individual%20murders%2C%20and%20chemical%20warfare.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6813a3.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanide_poisoning

https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/cyanide.pdf

https://www.basf.com/global/en/who-we-are/history/chronology/1925-1944/1933-1945/kampfstoffe-und-zyklon-b

https://en.https://vault.fbi.gov/jonestownwikipedia.org/wiki/Jonestown

Looking for more Rooted Content? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our corner of the internet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! You'll find our transcripts, show notes, and so much more.

*Disclaimer- This content is for entertainment purposes only. I am just a lady who likes plants, which in no way qualifies me to give you advice on well...anything, really. As always, please consult with your medical care team before making any changes to your diet or medications. *

This week we're discussing a poison that LITERALLY grows on trees for part 2 of our deadly poisons series. This infamous plant gives us an episode filled with twists, turns, and one SUPER messed up marathon. If you like true crime, fun facts, and weird history- you'll love this episode.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/chemical-emergencies/chemical-fact-sheets/strychnine.html

https://archive.org/details/poisonousplantso0000arno/page/20/mode/2up

https://crimereads.com/strychnine-poison-christie-conan-doyle/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/strychnine

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459306/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-1904-marathon-became-one-of-the-weirdest-olympic-events-of-all-time-14910747/​​

​​

https://marathonhandbook.com/what-is-a-good-marathon-time/#:~:text=According%20to%20Run%20Repeat's%20investigation%2C%20the%20overall,run%20a%20marathon%20for%20women%20is%204:48:45.

https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/st-louis-1904/results/athletics/marathon-men

https://www.journalmc.org/index.php/jmc/article/view/1189/688

Looking for more Rooted Content? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our corner of the internet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! You'll find our transcripts, show notes, and so much more.

*Disclaimer- This content is for entertainment purposes only. I am just a lady who likes plants, which in no way qualifies me to give you advice on well...anything, really. As always, please consult with your medical care team before making any changes to your diet or medications. *

This week we're embracing spooky season by kicking off a new Series- Deadly Poisons. Our first entry? Castor - the plant ancient Egyptians and cleantok girlies alike adore. If you're into beauty hacks, botanical oddities, and the wild weapons of the cold war, this one is for you.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/chemical-emergencies/chemical-fact-sheets/strychnine.html

https://archive.org/details/poisonousplantso0000arno/page/20/mode/2up

https://crimereads.com/strychnine-poison-christie-conan-doyle/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/strychnine

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459306/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-1904-marathon-became-one-of-the-weirdest-olympic-events-of-all-time-14910747/​​

​​

https://marathonhandbook.com/what-is-a-good-marathon-time/#:~:text=According%20to%20Run%20Repeat's%20investigation%2C%20the%20overall,run%20a%20marathon%20for%20women%20is%204:48:45.

https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/st-louis-1904/results/athletics/marathon-men

https://www.journalmc.org/index.php/jmc/article/view/1189/688

Looking for more Rooted Content? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our corner of the internet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! You'll find our transcripts, show notes, and so much more.

*Disclaimer- This content is for entertainment purposes only. I am just a lady who likes plants, which in no way qualifies me to give you advice on well...anything, really. As always, please consult with your medical care team before making any changes to your diet or medications. *

*Note: The edit *IS* a little wonky this week- be gentle with me, I am relearning.