Don’t be fooled by their beauty — these plants can pose a real threat
Few things are as gorgeous, inviting, or peaceful as a garden — but some of the prettiest flora can also be deadly. It's important to be aware of the toxic plants and flowers you shouldn't have around your house, especially if you have young children or pets.
Even 'pretty' houseplants can be dangerous; just a nibble of some of these common garden plants or houseplants can cause serious health effects. Children may be attracted to the bright berries on some of them, and others can be deadly to pets, even if ingested in small amounts.
You may be tempted to plant these and just keep them away from young children and animals, but that's not always easy to do out in the garden or within your home — after all, you can't watch everyone all the time. Take a look at the plants below, and always do your research first.
If you think your child or pet has ingested these plants, call your doctor or vet immediately.
A member of the carrot or parsley family, hogweed can reach 15 to 20 feet tall at maturity, with leaves that are up to 5 feet wide, with thick stems and white umbrella-shaped flowers.
The invasive species contains furanocoumarins in its sap. When it comes in contact with skin and is exposed to sunlight, severe skin inflammation and painful blisters erupt. The blisters may last for months and cause long-term sensitivity to sunlight.
This pretty landscape shrub is popular in warm climates, but its leaves and flowers contain toxic cardiac glycosides, which can cause abdominal pain. A single leaf can be fatal to a small child.
Foxglove is a popular cottage garden plant, but all parts of the plant contain several cardiac glycosides, including digoxin and digitoxin. Ingesting this plant can be fatal to people and is equally as dangerous for pets, leading to cardiac failure or death.
Nightshade has pretty purple bell-shaped flowers, but don't let that fool you: All parts of any nightshade plant are poisonous. The berries probably pose the biggest risk because curious kids or pets may eat them. Handling the plant also can cause dermatitis in people with sensitive skin.
Avoid this common Christmas plant. Mistletoe contains phoratoxin, which is toxic when any part of this plant is eaten. Tea created from the plant or its berries is also poisonous.
Pets who ingest any part of this plant may experience vomiting, difficulty breathing, or a low heart rate.
Part of the same genus, both of these common ornamental garden shrubs contain toxic grayanotoxins, which can cause vomiting, excess salivation, coma, or even death in both people and pets. Azaleas are often given as houseplants, too, so be wary of displaying them indoors.
Also called elephant ear, this striking heart-shaped plant is used both indoors and out. But it contains insoluble calcium oxalates, which cause oral irritation, swelling of the mouth, tongue, and lips, and vomiting in pets. It's also toxic to people.
This pretty groundcover or bouquet filler with glossy green leaves and spikes of tiny white dangling flowers contains cardenolides. All parts of the plant can be irritating or even fatal for people and pets, causing vomiting, irregular heartbeat, or death.
Daffodils and related plants, such as clivia and amaryllis, contain lycorine, which can cause vomiting, drooling, convulsions, and irregular heartbeats in both people and pets. The highest concentrations of toxins are in the bulbs.
This pretty bulb contains colchicine and other alkaloids, which are toxic to people and pets, causing oral irritation, vomiting, shock, and organ damage.
These vining annuals have attractive flowers, but the plant contains toxic indole alkaloids, which can cause vomiting in pets. Ingesting morning glories can cause everything from diarrhea to hallucinations in people.
This shrub is often used as a landscape plant with its shiny evergreen needles and bright red berries. But it contains taxine in all parts of the plant, causing muscle tremors or sudden death in animals and breathing difficulties, dizziness, and convulsions in people.
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