Poisonous Plants

I’ve been doing a little gardening in this fantastic February weather and bought some seeds online to grow indoors. When I was checking out the seeds I was amazed to see just how many poisonous plants we have in our gardens.

The Lupin seeds I was planning to sow had a poisonous warning on the packet, so sadly I can’t use them because of my dogs. Interestingly, the Sweetpea seeds didn’t have a warning, but they are on this list!

I recommend researching any plants that you intend to buy for the garden if you have children and/or pets to check if they are poisonous plants. Also, have a look to see if any of the plants you already have are on the list.

I have compiled a list (in alphabetical order)  of the most commonly known poisonous plants. I only picked out the ones that I had heard off, and I am a complete novice! There are many, many more.

Obviously, the level of toxicity differs in each plant. Some are only harmful if eaten in large amounts and others may just have parts of the plant which are poisonous (eg bulb, seeds, flowers)

70 Poisonous Plants

African Violet

Aloe Vera

Amaryllis

Apple

Apricot

Asparagus

Avocado

Azalea

Bleeding Heart

Broom

Bracken

Buttercup

Chrysanthemum

Clematis

Crocus

Cyclamen

Daffodil

Deadly Nightshade

Delphinium

Elder

Flax

Foxglove

Geranium

Hellebore

Holly

Horse Chestnut

Hyacinth

Hydrangea

Iris

Ivy

Juniper

Kale

Laburnum

Larkspur

Laurel

Lily

Lupin

Lobelia

Maple

Marijuana

Mistletoe

Mother in Laws Tongue

Narcissus

Oak

Onion

Peace Lily

Peony

Pointsettia

Poppy

Potato

Primrose

Privet

Ragwort

Raisins

Rhododendron

Rhubarb

Snowdrops

Spider Plant

Spruce

St. John’s Wort

Sweetpea

Tiger Lily

Tobacco Plant

Tomato Plant

Tulip

Walnut

Weeping Fig

Wisteria

Yarrow

Yew

Don’t forget that plants have some amazing health benefits too.

Also, most of these poisonous plants aren’t harmful unless you eat or digest them, so there is no need to make radical changes.

If you have dogs, it is well worth checking that plants are safe before you buy them. I was once horrified when my dog Alfie ate a whole tub of marigold flowers just a few minutes after I planted them. Luckily he was absolutely fine!

There are also reports of people falling ill after mistaking daffodil bulbs for onions.

Common Poisons Used In Crime Thrillers

Shakespeare used Yew in Macbeth, he added it to the witches cauldron.

Agatha Christie also used Yew in A Pocketful of Rye, it was added to a jar of marmalade to disguise the taste.

Another Agatha Christie novel where plants were used as poison is Five Little Pigs. Poirot investigates the use of Spotted Hemlock hidden in a glass of beer.

In A Carribean Mystery also by Agatha Christie, Belladonna is placed into face cream

Further Reading: For gardeners who want to keep dogs safe

A guide to removing weeds in the garden without using harmful chemicals.

 

If there are any well known poisonous plants that I missed off the list, let me know in the comments and I will gladly add to the list.

Let’s keep our children and pets safe!

Thank you for Reading