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
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