Wolfsbane is a lovely and highly poisonous perennial with a sinister reputation. Some species of wolfsbane, also known as monkshood or Aconitum carmichaelii, produce deep purple flowers into October. All parts of the plant are so toxic that they require gloves to handle them, and ancient Greeks would bait their wolf traps with this plant, which led to its nickname, ‘wolfsbane.’
During the Middle Ages, when the fear of werewolves and lycanthropy (the delusion that one can turn into a wolf) was rampant, superstitions arose that suggested that wolfbane would repel these canine shapeshifters and protect those who wore sprigs of it on their person. Later, a rumor developed that wolfsbane would cause a person to shape-shift if they came into contact with the plant during a full moon.
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