Mythic Plants - by Ellen Zachos (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this beautifully illustrated book that's Song of Achilles meets Secret Life of Trees, readers will discover the plants cultivated by the Greek Gods-many of which can still be experimented with today-for a myriad of uses.

In Greek mythology, plants were used for tools, intoxication, warfare, food, medicine, magic, and rituals. When Prometheus stole fire from the Olympian gods and gave it to mankind, he hid it in a stalk of giant fennel. Ancient Greeks waiting to question the oracles were given cannabis as part of their cleansing rituals. A quince fruit started the Trojan war. The goddess Demeter was so distraught when Hades kidnapped her daughter that she caused winter to blanket the earth, killing all plants.

Mythic Plants focuses on how the ancient Greeks used plants in their lives and loves and conquests--some of which we can still use.

Includes tips throughout for bringing these ancient plants into your garden.

Review Quotes

"This book is very interesting and I recommend it... It is not by any means a complete "Ancient Materia Medica," but it's a fun breeze-through. And sometimes a detail slips through into modern gardening: where Cornelian-cherry will root readily, or that quinces, in Greece, have a long enough season to ripen and become soft and edible without cooking, where, here, they don't.
Zachos' tongue is often firmly in her cheek. Lots of pithy comments, but the one that had me howling was the second complete sentence on page 164. Buy this book and read it for yourself."--Washington Gardener

"In Mythic Plants, you can mix your love of mythology with your love of all things green. For the gardener who loves to read about ancient Greek history, beliefs, and practices, this book is a delight. It's full of quick-to-read, browse-able chapters that explain the origins and cultures associated with various plants, and the ways that ancient folks used everyday plants and weeds in their lives. Zachos tells readers how modern science, laws, and knowledge compares to what the Greeks knew and thought, and how it's relevant to your garden today."

--Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez

About the Author

Ellen Zachos is a Harvard graduate and the author of eleven books including The Wildcrafted Cocktail, Growing Healthy Houseplants, The Forager's Pantry, and How to Forage for Wild Edible Plants Without Dying. Ellen's first career was on Broadway (cast of Les Miz, among others), but the gift of a peace lily on opening night opened her eyes to the wonderful world of plants. Ellen taught at the New York Botanic Garden for many years, and also served as Coordinator of the Gardening Department in Continuing Ed, before moving to Santa Fe, NM. Ellen was named a Great American Gardener by the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival and continues to speak at conferences, garden clubs and flower shows across the country. Her eleventh book Mythic Plants: Potions and Poisons from the Gardens of the Gods was published in 2025 by Workman Publishing.