Poisonous Garden Plants

Poisonous garden plants

Do you have poisonous plants growing in your garden?  Most of us choose garden plants without thinking about how safe they are to have in the garden.  After all we buy our plants in green houses and nurseries and they wouldn’t sell anything poisonous would they?  Oh, but they do.  It’s amazing how many toxic plants most gardens contain.

Before you get too worried consider that most of us no longer have farm animals regularly grazing the yard and we don’t often munch plants ourselves.  Many poisonous plants are harmful when you eat plant parts.  But pets and small children can be of concern because they may be drawn to berries or seeds that could be poisonous.    Some pets, mentally challenged adults or children may also sample plant foliage.

Don’t count on plant nurseries and greenhouses to inform you of what plants are poisonous.  Every gardener should know what plants have poisonous parts and then take appropriate steps to keep people, pets and livestock safe.  And don’t assume that because birds or deer eat plant parts that those plants are safe for human or pet consumption.  All species can have different reactions to the same plant.

The rest of this article is going to list some common garden plants that are poisonous.   If you can’t identify some plants in your garden ask an experienced gardener or your county Extension office to help you.  You can safely use most of these plants in the garden if you use common sense and protect them from curious tasters.  Teach children and pets to never taste things without permission.  And if you do have farm animals, don’t let them into the garden or throw garden waste to them unless you know everything is safe.

Aconite, Monkshood- very poisonous, all parts, historical poison

Artemisia- wormwood- all parts - its use in Absinthe- the liquor is safe

Arums- Jack in the Pulpit, other species - all parts

Avocado- all parts except flesh of ripe fruit are poison, never give even the fruit to birds.

Black Locust - all parts

Bleeding Heart - all parts

Bloodroot - all parts

Castor Bean - all parts but particularly beans- 2-3 could kill a child, source of the deadly poison Ricin, castor oil is produced from beans with special treatment it is only mildly toxic unless ingested in quanity.

Celandine- rock poppy - all parts very toxic

Colchicum, autumn crocus- all parts - medicine for gout recalled in 2007.

Daffodils, narcissus- all parts

Datura, Jimsonweed, Angels trumpet, moonflower, Also its relative Brugmansia - all parts are very toxic.  Smelling flowers for a long period has a narcotic effect.  Seeds are extremely poisonous and just a few can kill. 

Daphne all parts, berries very toxic

Delphinium- all parts

Elderberries - Sambucus wild and domestic types - all parts except ripe berries are poisonous.

English Ivy - berries - outdoor and house plant species.

Flax all parts except cooked seeds

Flowering Quince - all parts except ripe fruit.

Foxglove- - all parts- used for digitalis, a heart medicine

Hellebore- Lenten Rose, Christmas rose - all parts- an ancient poison.

Horse Chestnut- “nut” is toxic, even cooked.

Hydrangea - all parts but especially flower buds

Jerusalem Cherry - very toxic - all parts

Kidney Bean - uncooked beans quite toxic

Lantana - mostly berries

Larkspur, locoweed- close relative of delphinium, all parts very toxic

Lilies - very toxic to cats - all parts

Lily of the Valley - all parts, especially berries and seeds

Lobelia- both red and blue types- all parts

Maple- red maple species ( Acer rubrum) the wilted or dried leaves are toxic to horses and possibly other animals- other maples not toxic.

May apple - all parts except ripe flesh of fruit

Mistletoe - all parts dried or fresh - very toxic- usually purchased as a decoration.

Morning Glory - all parts but particularly seeds

Mountain Laurel - Kalmia - all parts

Nightshades - Black, woody, bittersweet- all parts - usually a garden weed.

Oleander - all parts very toxic- seeds used as a means of suicide.

Passionflower- all parts very toxic, except ripe fruit and juice from ripe fruit.

Peace Lily - houseplant - all parts mildly toxic

Philodendron - all parts mildly toxic

Pokeberry, Inkberry-  all parts.  Very young shoots are cooked in 2 changes of water for “poke greens” berries used for dye and ink but poisonous to eat.

Potato - all parts except tubers, green skin and sprouts on tubers poison

Privet - all parts, especially berries, deer eat it safely.

Purple Hyacinth bean - all parts

Rhododendrons and Azaleas - all parts - honey from flowers also toxic

Rhubarb - all parts except young stems

Sweet Peas - seeds

Sweet grass, bison grass - all parts contain blood thinner coumarin

Sweet woodruff- all parts (used sparingly in May wine)

Tansy - all parts

Tomato - all parts except fruit

Tulips- cause rash - bulbs mildly toxic

White Snakeroot, Chocolate snake root ( Eupatorium rugosum), Boneset - all parts - animals grazing it give poison milk- and will also die.

Yews - all species- all parts are very toxic, ripe flesh of berries is only mildly toxic but ingesting seeds with it could be fatal. If you have children keep all berries picked off.  A handful of needles can kill a cow.  Chewing on yew roots or stems will kill dogs.  Deer can eat yews without harm.

This list may not include all the poisonous plants in your garden.  New plants are constantly being added to the market and some have very little known about them.  Weeds that invade the garden can also be poison.  If you suspect plant poisoning call the poison hotline at   1-800-222-1222 .