Plant Murder

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**Plant Murder**

**Plant Murder** is a podcast that unearths the deadly intersection of plants and true crime. Each episode delves into the dark history behind fascinating plants, their fatal impact on infamous figures, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding their use. Did a Roman Emperor really die from a tiny mushroom? Why did the Victorians invent a deadly pear? Who in the Borgias brandished Belladonna and which man-eating plants are only a myth? Discover the sinister side of nature’s flora.

Hosted by Aaron J. Reardon, dig into the stories of poisonous plants and the fatal roles they’ve played in shaping human history.

A Clever > Than Production

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

www.cleverthan.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest Episodes:

Addendum - Garlic vs The Vampire's Surgeon Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Some background on the making of the episode, vampire panic and Hammer Horror.

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

A Clever > Than Production

Show theme: Poetic Justice by John Humphrey PRS

Publisher: 2496 Sound and Music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garlic vs The Vampire's Surgeon (Johannes Flückinger) Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

Johannes Flückinger was a military surgeon sent to a frozen Serbian village in 1732 to explain a series of deaths the locals blamed on the dead rising from their graves. The villagers armed themselves with garlands of garlic, swearing its scent alone kept the revenants at bay. What Flückinger found defied every principle of medicine he had learned in Vienna: bodies unnaturally preserved, blood fresh in their veins, and villagers whispering one name...Arnold Paole. In this episode, we exhume one of Europe’s strangest medical reports, the Visum et Repertum

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

A Clever > Than Production

Show theme: Poetic Justice by John Humphrey PRS

Publisher: 2496 Sound and Music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fresh Cuttings - Addendums, Butchers and A Sense of History Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

A warm welcome to new listeners. An update on addendum episodes, new episodes, audio mixes, some comment shout outs and a short film reco. Special thanks to the gang at Rusty Quill Network and ACAST.

A Sense of History: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105355/

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

A Clever > Than Production

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Addendum - The Earl vs The Chained Oak Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

Spoilers for the episode.

Some background and discussion about the episode The Earl vs The Chained Oak.

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

Alton Towers Amusements: https://www.altontowers.com/

Wicker Man Roller Coaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf3FEAN3HIw&t=3s

Ronald Hutton - Lecture on Druids: https://youtu.be/Q1FgRKzAF_Y?si=Ts7Ex_luMNUCZjN7

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Earl vs The Chained Oak Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Beneath the rain-soaked hills of Staffordshire stands a tree bound in iron: the Chained Oak of Alton Towers. Some say its branches hold the deaths of a dynasty; others call it a tourist trap with roots in stolen land and old resentments. But when tragedy cut through the Talbot family, suspicion circled the woods: a poacher’s vendetta, a servant’s secret, a ghost in the nursery, or something much older, an ancient order guarding nature’s law. Who chained the oak and created the deadly curse?

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

A Clever > Than Production

Show theme: Poetic Justice by John Humphrey PRS

Publisher: 2496 Sound and Music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Addendum - Lucrezia Borgia vs Belladonna Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

Some extra thoughts about the Showtime series, Borgia vs Medici and French obsessions.

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lucrezia Borgia vs Belladonna Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

Dive into the turbulent life of Lucrezia Borgia in this episode of Plant Murder. Explore the myths and truths surrounding one of history's most infamous women. Was she a master poisoner or merely a pawn in the deadly games of Renaissance Italy? From Victor Hugo's dramatic portrayals to her tender exchanges with Pietro Bembo, and a provocative Tate Gallery painting, we dissect the legacy of a woman whose story is as complex as it is misunderstood. Join us as we peel back the layers of scandal and suspicion that have clouded the true story of Lucrezia Borgia.

Featuring the voice talents of John Kennard

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

A Clever > Than Production

Show theme: Poetic Justice by John Humphrey PRS

Publisher: 2496 Sound and Music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Addendum - Leningrad vs The Winter Pea Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

Spoilers for the episode.

Some discussion on plant domestication and crop preservation, Leningrad struggles during the siege and Soviet propaganda cinema.

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leningrad vs The Winter Pea Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

During the Siege of Leningrad, as bombs fell and over a million people starved, a small group of scientists protected something extraordinary, something the Germans would have done anything to seize. But the real battle wasn’t just against the enemy at the gates—it was against Stalin’s regime, which threatened to undo everything they fought to protect. In this episode of Plant Murder, we uncover the untold story of resilience, betrayal, and the secrets that held the key to humanity’s survival.

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

A Clever > Than Production

Show theme: Poetic Justice by John Humphrey PRS

Publisher: 2496 Sound and Music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lord Carnarvon vs Nile Papyrus (The Pharoah's Curse) Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

November 1922. In the scorching Valley of the Kings, a sealed tomb is breached for the first time in millennia. Months later, Lord Carnarvon—financier of the discovery—lies dead. Whispers of a curse spread like wildfire: was it the vengeance of Anubis, guardian of the dead? Or could the true killer have been lying in wait among the sacred papyrus garlands and ancient wreaths meant to protect the boy king?

In this episode of Plant Murder, we follow the deadly trail of mold spores unleashed from within Tutankhamun’s tomb. From the life-giving marshes of the Nile to the suffocating stillness of the afterlife’s chambers, we’ll uncover how a plant meant to symbolize eternity may have carried a more sinister legacy. Join us as myth collides with science in the story of a curse that transcends time.

Subscribe for ongoing episodes, please rate and review to help the show.

Plant Murder Ad free episodes, extras, discussion and polls:

https://www.patreon.com/Cleverthan

A Clever > Than Production

Show theme: Poetic Justice by John Humphrey PRS

Publisher: 2496 Sound and Music

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.