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June 15, 2017 in Garden Problems

10 toxic plants you don’t want in your yard or garden

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White baneberry (Doll's eyes): all parts poisonous

White baneberry (Doll’s eyes): all parts poisonous

Toxic plants. They’re out there. Some are probably in your garden right now looking so innocent and getting smug about it. Time to panic? Maybe. But probably not. Because while being cautious makes sense, we’ve also come to realize just how many common plants are considered poisonous. And just like there are degrees in the level of badness in desserts, there are degrees in the level of toxicity in plants. Compare angel food cake or jello with peanut butter pie topped with Cool Whip and Peanut Butter Cups. Big. Whopping. Difference. Not only in total calories but in nutrition. So asking yourself the same types of questions…how bad is truly bad?… makes sense. Let’s cut to the chase. While there’s lots of plants that many would shake their green thumbs at, these are the plants we would not allow in our homes even for a whole peanut butter pie (with hot fudge on top please).

White baneberry

All parts of the white baneberry (shown above) are poisonous. Eating just 5 or 6 berries can make you seriously sick. Eating more could cause death. It’s mostly children who are tempted into eating these strange looking berries, adults realize just how creepy they look. And apparently, they don’t taste very good. Avoid all parts of this plant not just the toxic berries as even the tiniest bit can cause blisters on the skin where touched.

These berries contain cardiogenic toxins that serve as a sedative on cardiac muscle tissue. Immediate symptoms include burning of the mouth and throat, salivation, severe stomach cramps, headache, diarrhea, dizziness and hallucinations. Hmmmm. I’ll pass.

Interestingly enough, they got their alternative name, Doll’s Eyes from once being sewn into rag dolls for children as….you guessed it…doll’s eyes. Weird. Actually, the berries look a lot like Hatchimal eyes to me. And if you don’t know what a Hatchimal is then consider yourself quite lucky.

Yews

Yews (Taxus): Landscape shrub

Yews (Taxus): Landscape shrub

The berries from the yew tree are harmless, but the seed within is highly toxic. Unbroken, the seed will pass through the body without being digested. But if the seed is chewed poisoning can occur with as few as three berries. Maybe that’s why Agatha Christie used the yew as inspiration for some of her murder mysteries?

And that’s because the murderers always had such easy access to the poison taxin through this classic evergreen that is a staple around many homes in England. It is the go-to hedge for looks and luxury, not to mention death. Quick recap: Flesh of the berries, okay. Seeds and leaves, highly toxic. Even still, it’s not like I’d be throwing the flesh of these berries in my smoothie any time soon.

Interesting fact. Sometimes, there’s no symptoms at all. Other times (such as in my murder mystery novel) the victims heart rate starts accelerating, then they experience muscle spams and labored breathing as they dramatically stagger and finally collapse to the floor.

And the yew is poisonous to almost all including humans, dogs, cats, horses, cattle and pigs.

Yew is also one of those rare plants where the poison is not destroyed when the plant dies. So when you move those branches via pruning or they move themselves via high winds, bad things are sure to follow.

Rhododendrons

rhododendrons

rhododendrons

Do you want the good news or bad news first?

Okay, then, the good news. There are few, if any known incidents of fatal poisoning in humans in recent times involving a rhododendron plant. Even though this plant is poisonous to many animals as well, cases are rare because animals tend not be graze where rhododendrons are grown. Sadly, they get poisoned when unthinking humans feed, for example, zoo animals the plant growing on the zoo grounds. Not smart on the humans part but maybe the zoo shouldn’t have chosen different decorative plants.

The bad news?! All parts of the plant including the leaves, flowers and the nectar contain toxins with the nectar usually believed to have the highest concentration. Humans poison themselves when when they eat honey made with rhododendron nectar. Why anyone would do this is beyond me.

But those who do poison themselves in this way typically see their gastrointestinal and cardiac problems disappear after about 24 hours. It obviously depends on the amount of nectar consumed. Those unpleasant symptoms include low blood pressure, lowered heart rate and shock, nausea, increased salivation and vomiting, accompanied by dizziness, loss of balance and difficultly breathing. Sounds a lot like a pharmaceutical ad to me.

Short recap. Lavender tea with honey. Yes. Rhododendron tea with honey. No. Never. Still the plant is stunningly gorgeous, just don’t ingest.

Castor bean

Castor bean: Ornamental annual

Castor bean: Ornamental annual

So the castor bean is an ornamental annual. The caster bean plant itself is not poisonous to humans, but the seeds are. The seeds contain ricin which is potentially lethal. Ricin is one of the most deadly naturally occurring chemicals. In fact, it’s more deadly than most man-made chemicals. It’s my favorite poison used in my favorite Agatha Christie murder novel. And you probably remember that ricin was found in letters sent to some Congress members and to the White House a few years back, and in the hands of bad people linked to terrorist groups.

Anyhow, ricin is very poisonous to humans, animals and even insects. Rumor is that as few as 5 beans is enough to kill an adult human, but I have not tested this myself and don’t plan too.

Castor oil is produced by pressing ripe seeds that have had their outer covering, also known as a hull removed. It’s this hull that contains the deadly ricin.  Castor oil has been used as a medicine for centuries, this brings to mind the Mary Poppins song where the little boy sings about not wanting castor oil or gruel from his prospective nanny. I’m with him! There are much better laxatives and wart removers out there, I’m sure of it.

Monkshood

Monkshood, wolfsbane (aconite)

Monkshood, wolfsbane (aconite)

Monkshood is so bad that it can poison even through a cut in the skin when handled. This attractive and visually appealing perennial is tempting to flower lovers, especially florists who have reported being sick after using it in flower arrangements. It’s the alkaloids, better known as the aconite bit that are thought to be the key toxin in this plant. And all parts are poisonous especially the roots, seeds and new leaves.

And yes, if you ingest this plant, even just a smidgen will cause severe and unpleasant gastrointestinal upset, but it’s the heart that takes the greatest toll. It will quickly slow the heart rate and this is the main cause of death. Early symptoms include restlessness and excessive drooling followed by muscle weakness, falling blood pressure and difficulty breathing

Fortunately, its bitter taste is awful and is quickly followed by a burning sensation, numbing of the mouth and all those other icky side effects. BIooms may be gorgeous but it’s unwelcome in my yard as I have small children and pets. Let’s just avoid this one….okay? It’s like I tell my 5-year-old every day, “look but don’t touch mommy’s glass trinkets from Holland.”

Fun factoid? Monkshood was once used by ancient warriors to poison the water of their enemies!

Bittersweet nightshade

Bittersweet nightshade: Toxic weed with multi-colored berries.

Bittersweet nightshade: Toxic weed with multi-colored berries.

To save money, my family has found a few spots that grow blackberries in the wild. We pick as much as we can and usually have a few pints to freeze that don’t get gobbled down in the field. Unfortunately, growing side-by-side with the blackberries are tons of bittersweet nightshade plants, a toxic weed with multi-colored berries.

They begin as a green berry, then they change to yellow, orange and finally red when mature. The plant is even more striking when you see one in multiple stages sporting colors in each of these hues at the same time. They certainly look delectable, especially growing alongside blackberries, but they’re not. So if you have bittersweet nightshade growing in your yard, you’ll want to remove it using gloves as the foliage is toxic not to mention prickly.

I’ve witnessed lots of birds nibbling on these berries and you probably have as well if you like to hike. Because the seeds are able to pass through the digestive tracts of many animals including those birds and remain viable, they are spread like wildfire to new locations, enabling this plant (weed) to spread.

Angel’s trumpet

Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia): Hallucinogenic, toxic, may cause dermatitis.

Angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia): Hallucinogenic, toxic, may cause dermatitis.

Want to hear something really weird? I went to Disney World in Orlando in February and saw this plant growing not too far from a new playground In Epcot. Sure, it was being held back with a fence but I still thought it odd considering how deadly it is. If I wanted too, I could still have reached in and plucked it.

Because there’s no gray area with the lovely Angel’s Trumpet plant with flowers that hang like bells. It’s all bad, every last bit of this woody-stemmed bush including the flowers, leaves, seeds and roots are poisonous to both humans and animals.

This plant contains toxic alkaloids that cause poisoning when ingested or absorbed through mucus membranes. So don’t eat it or let it come anywhere near your skin! Side effects include agitation, twitching movement, muscle weakness, drowsiness, dilated pupils, dry mouth, rapid pulse, fever, hallucinations & euphoria and elevated temperature. Don’t rule out coma or death either when up against the evil Angel’s Trumpet.

Besides, this high-maintenance plant likes routine pruning, feeding and watering. You’d have to wear protective clothing, gloves and probably goggles to consider working with it. Even the pruning sheers you’ve used on this plant would then have to be thoroughly washed when finished. Left unwashed, the pruners could actually contaminate your other flowers or worse, your vegetable plants. It’s possible for even gloved hands to get contaminated and for you to be unaware of this. When the gloves come off, just the act of rubbing your eyes or touching your face might send you to the emergency room when the rapid onset of symptoms appear.

It’s even possible for the Angel’s Trumpet to harm through cross-contamination with your edible crops so it can’t be anywhere near your vegetable bed or herb garden.

Delphiniums

delphiniums

delphiniums

I’ve never been able to successfully grow any delphiniums in my yard. Maybe it’s for the best as all parts of this popular ornamental plant are poisonous. Like its dangerous cousin monkshood (featured above in this post), the super tall spikes of delphinium (larkspur) is admired and envied in the yard and garden for its showy power blue (pink and white too.) Except by those who have been poisoned by it.

I had no idea that just touching these tempting buds can irritate the skin. Children in particular are drawn to their vibrant beauty and almost can’t help picking them, but contact with the skin is dangerous. Is this why children’s authors use the lovely larkspur on note cards for kids and in children’s gardening books? Not a good idea!

Rumor has it that it has a bitter and acrid taste, but if you push past that issue and continue to munch, you could actually die from its potent alkaloids. Initially, you’ll feel disoriented with muscle tremors, stiffness, weakness and finally keel over from respiratory paralysis. And don’t rule out paralysis or even death as both are possible.

I found it fascinating that larkspur has been used in the past in some herbal medicines such as anti-parasitics (they go after lice), a cure for asthma and maybe even as a preventative for eye disease.

White snakeroot

White snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)

White snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum)

Did you know? Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks was reportedly killed by snakeroot. Yup. It’s true. She died after drinking snakeroot-contaminated raw milk. The cows that produced the milk she drank unfortunately ate some snakeroot prior to their milking. Take-home message? That the toxin tremetol found in snakeroot is just as toxic if consumed directly or second-hand, hence the milk problem. And there’s a meat problem too. Eat meat from cows that have consumed snakeroot and you’re going down in a bad way.

Guess what’s even more odd? It’s possible still today to get sick off milk contaminated by snakeroot if the cows made that same mistake. Of course, you might get sick and have no idea it was some milk you drank that put you over, let alone milk contaminated by snakeroot. Crazy!

And not to be captain obvious, but obviously eating the plant straight-up can easily lead to death. The symptoms are too numerous to even list, just avoid!

Foxglove

Foxgloves

Foxgloves

Confession, foxglove is fascinating. Confession, foxglove is to be feared. This is because if you chomp on foxglove you’ll experience nausea followed by vomiting, convulsions, cardiac arrest and eventually death. That’s a done deal for me. Everything from the seeds to stems to flowers are poisonous. They contain digitalis….another Agatha Christie famous making poison. Her murderers are always getting their hands on it!

Why’d you consider sucking on the flower is beyond me, but if you do other symptoms include digestive issues, headache, blurred vision and overall confusion. Besides, there are plenty of other edible flowers to choose from, why go with one that will kill you?

So I’m curious…do you grow any of the above plants?

81 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chad Boyd says

    June 30, 2022 at 8:13 pm

    Ohh…some very helpful info here! Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Carol n says

    June 30, 2022 at 9:08 pm

    I have foxglove
    No problems so far

    Reply
  3. Audrey says

    June 30, 2022 at 11:06 pm

    So many of my favorites are poisonous …

    Reply
  4. Sam says

    July 1, 2022 at 12:00 am

    I had no idea about some of these – good to know

    Reply
  5. Liz Kilcher says

    July 1, 2022 at 4:57 am

    great info, thanks

    Reply
  6. Barbara Ryan says

    July 1, 2022 at 8:42 am

    The only plant I have is the Rhododendrons. Thank you for all this information

    Reply
  7. Cheryl says

    July 1, 2022 at 9:07 am

    Just proves, research what you eat!

    Reply
  8. Carolyn Reilly says

    July 1, 2022 at 9:13 am

    Wow, very informative. Beautiful but deadly.

    Reply
  9. Leo Pierson says

    July 1, 2022 at 9:14 am

    Sweet facts!🐱

    Reply
  10. Richard Dinwiddie, Jr. says

    July 1, 2022 at 9:30 am

    Pretty thou!

    Reply
  11. Lesley F says

    July 1, 2022 at 10:00 am

    I never realized that Delphiniums are toxic. I also have never been able to grow them in my garden

    Reply
  12. Michelle Damon says

    July 1, 2022 at 10:42 am

    Good to know – especially for those with pets & little ones!!

    Reply
  13. Melissa Stinchcomb says

    July 1, 2022 at 10:57 am

    Wow! Great info! Thanks!

    Reply
  14. Kaley Ward says

    July 1, 2022 at 11:15 am

    So glad I don’t have any of these! I was a little nervous when I started reading it because I wasn’t sure if any of mine would be on there or not.

    Reply
  15. Joanna Protz says

    July 1, 2022 at 11:47 am

    I grow several of these plants, but I do not eat them. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Katherine Leo says

    July 1, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    Wow thanks good to know

    Reply
  17. Jennylyn Gross says

    July 1, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    good to know thank you

    Reply
  18. Crystal Abel says

    July 1, 2022 at 12:38 pm

    We had Rhododendrons, but we got rid of them because our llama got out one time and ate some and almost died. I put roses in their place.

    Reply
  19. Sandy says

    July 1, 2022 at 12:52 pm

    Oh my goodness, I had no idea. I bought a Delphinium, this summer and now think I will get rid of it. Thank you for the important information.

    Reply
  20. Jennifer George says

    July 1, 2022 at 12:53 pm

    Thanks for the helpful info

    Reply
  21. Diane Warstler says

    July 1, 2022 at 12:56 pm

    Very helpful and no, I don’t grow any of these plants.

    Reply
  22. Jenni Phillips says

    July 1, 2022 at 2:55 pm

    Learning about poisonous plants seems never ending to me.

    Reply
  23. Amber Lee Kolb says

    July 1, 2022 at 3:00 pm

    Oh wow, I had no idea!! There are so many!

    Reply
  24. Bev J says

    July 1, 2022 at 3:38 pm

    Arizona does not allow for these to grow easily!

    Reply
  25. Betsy Pauzauskie says

    July 1, 2022 at 3:56 pm

    I’m guilty of growing azaleas which are poisonous. (All azaleas are rhododrendrons.) Fortunately, that’s the only plant on your list I grow. However, when I checked to be sure azaleas were rhododendrons, I learned that iris plants are toxic too, based on their list of poisonous plants!!! 🙁 I had also been considering planting a hydrangea, which is also poisonous!!! Big Sigh. There will be no hydrangea for me. However, I’ll be keeping what’s in my established beds. I’ll also be aware of those that are toxic now. Thank you.

    Reply
  26. Leela says

    July 1, 2022 at 4:18 pm

    Thanks for all the info.

    Reply
  27. Tammy Michelli says

    July 1, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    👍

    Reply
  28. Margaret S Porter says

    July 1, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    Thanks for this useful information! I am watching out for these plants!

    Reply
  29. belinda bell says

    July 1, 2022 at 7:06 pm

    It is good to know about all of these plants.

    Reply
  30. Pam W. says

    July 1, 2022 at 7:48 pm

    Thanks for this information.

    Reply
  31. Sandra McFadden says

    July 1, 2022 at 10:01 pm

    Great info!

    Reply
  32. Janis C says

    July 1, 2022 at 10:29 pm

    Wow! I had no idea that these are toxic and I have several of the ones mentioned here in my garden. I hope my pets and wildlife will instinctively avoid them.

    Reply
  33. Phyllis Skoglund says

    July 1, 2022 at 11:01 pm

    Too think my mother had all of those poisonous plants in her garden .

    Reply
  34. Laurie Nykaza says

    July 2, 2022 at 3:17 am

    Great information toxic plants are such a problem with pets we always make sure to not plant toxic plants in our yard too..

    Reply
  35. Pamela Chambers says

    July 2, 2022 at 4:47 am

    I knew about some of these but sure learned about a lot of new ones as well. This is such important info to have for pet owners!

    Reply
  36. jenna brown says

    July 2, 2022 at 5:08 am

    thanks for the helpful info! im a beginner so i appreciate the advice.

    Reply
  37. Derek T says

    July 2, 2022 at 9:12 am

    Always good information to have! Thanks!

    Reply
  38. rita leonard says

    July 2, 2022 at 11:32 am

    Great info. Did not know about many of these plants, especially rhododendrons. Thanks for the info

    Reply
  39. Cathy Horner says

    July 2, 2022 at 1:15 pm

    None of these in my yard. I didn’t realize that wild cherry trees leaves contained cyanide. I cut down the one near my herb garden but left another one further away since the birds seem to like the berries

    Reply
  40. Colleen Debs says

    July 2, 2022 at 1:42 pm

    Thanks for the information. Who would of known?

    Reply