Red Soapwort

Saponaria_officinalis.jpg

Alternative names: Saponaria Officinalis, Herbe a Savon, Bouncing-Bet, Soapwort

Found in Central and Eastern Europe, but also in Western Asia, Red Soapwort is used in manufacture for soaps, detergents and shampoos, as a foaming agent in beer or as an additive in the tahini halva. Red Soapwort has white or pink flowers with delicate smell and prefers sandy soils. In the ancient times, it was used as a substitute for soap and detergent.

Castor Oil Plant

Ricinus communis

Other names: Ricinus communis, African Coffee Tree, Kreuzbaum, Wonder Tree

Used as an ornamental plant in gardens around the world, Castor Oil Plant is one of the most poisonous plants and a feared chemical warfare agent. Only 1 to 6  whole seeds are enough to cause mouth and throat burning, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea and death in 3 to 5 days after ingestion, as the hull of the seed contains a powerful toxin inhibiting protein synthesis called “ricin”.