Webinars
Webinars
October Webinar
Poisonous Perennials and their Secret Histories
With Kit M. Carlson, PhD, Biology Faculty at Madison College
October 29, 2026, 1pm Eastern
Dr. Kit Carlson, PhD
Your gardens might be hiding some surprisingly deadly secrets. In "Poisonous Perennials and Their Secret Histories," we will take a closer look at the dark side of familiar plants like Angel's Trumpet, Arnica, Milkweed, and Autumn Crocus. Blending botany, history, and toxicology, this presentation explores the chemical factories operating inside these beautiful blooms. It highlights how these toxic traits function as plant defense mechanisms and the fascinating roles they have played in human folklore and history.
Dr. Kitrina (Kit) Carlson is a biology faculty member and Senior Research Scholar at Madison College, bringing over two decades of experience in higher education and botanical research. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Missouri and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Virginia Tech. Dr. Carlson is the author of The Book of Killer Plants: A Field Guide to Nature's Deadliest Creations (Cider Mill Press, 2022). In addition to her interest in plant toxins, folklore, and toxicology, she serves as the Principal Investigator on multiple National Science Foundation (NSF) grants, through which she has established robust undergraduate research programs and expanded student access in the STEM fields.
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