False Hellebore

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Dave Bonta
This entry is part 17 of 29 in the series Wildflower Poems

False Hellebore by Jennifer Schlick

False Hellebore by Jennifer Schlick (click to see larger)

Veratrum viride

Bright green.
Tight green.
Clasping green.
Grasping green.
Armed green.
Charmed green.
Hairy green.
Scary green.
Ribbed green.
Nibbed green.
Panicle-green.
Planticle-green.
Patient green.
Abortifacient green.
Killing green.
Thrilling green.
Burning green.
Churning green.
Convulsive green.
Repulsive green.
Rain-calling green.
Down-falling green.
Green green.
Black.

*

Note: The Latin name means “true-black green.” The black roots were widely used by Native Americans for apotropaic magic and other ritual purposes. The entire plant is toxic.

Series Navigation← Golden RagwortFairy Bells →

About Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta (bio) crowd-sources his problems by following his gut, which he shares with one quadrillion of his closest microbial friends --- a tight-knit, symbiotic community comprising some 500 different species of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.
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3 Responses to False Hellebore

  1. Pat Jones says:
    February 18, 2011 at 3:51 am

    Love this, Jennifer. What gardener wouldn’t? Thanks!

    Pat

  2. marly youmans says:
    February 20, 2011 at 8:33 pm

    Interesting form…