Poisonous Plants
Step inside our little shop of horrors. While vegetation helps to sustain life on Earth, there are flowers, trees, shrubs, and even hedges out there that can kill. Some are dangerous to touch, while others are toxic if swallowed or inhaled. Nasty reactions range from irritation to death. Why are some plants poisonous? It’s simply their defense against being eaten. The stories of these green meanies will have you rooted to the spot.
Nightshade
Also known as belladonna or the devil’s cherry, the leaves and berries of this plant contain atropine—a deadly chemical compound. A snack-size portion of berries causes slurred speech, blurred vision, horrible headaches, breathing problems, and convulsions. That’s not berry nice.
Manchineel Tree
This resembles an apple tree, but the fruit are nicknamed “apples of death.” Eating the fruit causes blistering in the mouth and throat, and can be fatal. The tree leaks a milky white sap that can blister the skin, while smoke from a burning tree causes blindness. This is one bad apple tree.
Castor Bean
These brutal beans contain the deadliest plant poison on Earth: ricin. Just a handful of beans contain enough of this poison to kill an adult within a few minutes. Even harvesting the plant can give a person nerve damage. Do not serve baked.
Doll’s Eyes
Named after its startling appearance, the entire plant is poisonous but the berries pack a particular punch. If you pop an eye into your mouth, the poison relaxes heart muscle tissue, leading to cardiac arrest and death—all in the blink of an eye.
Rosary Pea
Pea-shaped pods along this vine split open when dry to reveal bright red pealike seeds. Popping a few peas leads to drooling, vomiting, a high temperature, convulsions, seizures, and may eventually cause death. You most definitely must mind these Ps.
Larkspur
These blue-purple plants are popular in gardens, but they are packed with alkaloids. A nibble on the leaves and flowers brings intense burning of the mouth and throat, a feeling of lightheaded confusion, severe headaches, vomiting, and, at worst, suffocation.
Water Hemlock
This relative of the parsnip is extremely poisonous. The toxins—concentrated in the roots, but also found in the leaves and stems—act so quickly that there may be no time for treatment. Touching hemlock can cause a reaction, but should you ingest it, expect grand malseizures, loss of consciousness, violent muscle contractions, and possible death. Stick to its harmless relative.
Narcissus
Are daffodils a delightful sign of spring or toxic killers? Both! The onionlike bulbs are the enemies, not the flowers. The bulbs contain a strong poison that can numb the nervous system and paralyse heart muscle with deadly consequences.