Poisoning the Well: Portraits with Dangerous Flora

This initial spark for the series was Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” The character Dr. Rappaccini raises his daughter, Beatrice, in a garden of poisonous plants for a scientific experiment, which makes her immune to their toxins but highly toxic to others. She later falls in love with Giovanni, who ultimately becomes “poisonous” by association and blames her for his “curse.” To save herself, she drinks an antidote given to her by her lover but tragically dies in the process.

I am fascinated by the strange contradictions of the natural world, which can be both beautiful and deadly. Some of the same poisonous plants used today to develop medications and antidotes for diseases are highly toxic in their natural form, much like Beatrice, who is both immune and poisonous. The ocean can be stunning yet dangerous, and there are beneficial bacteria in our bodies alongside others that can be harmful. A luscious peach is delicious, but the pit inside contains a substance that can produce cyanide when digested by enzymes in the gut. We are fragile and strong, passive and powerful, alluring and complex, and we all face an increasingly challenging world.