POISON PLANTS, PEOPLE AND PETS
Information from the California Poison Control System
What plants are dangerous?
The following is a list of plants that can be highly toxic:
Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia arborea)
Azalea (Rhododendron)
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Carolina jasmine (Gelsemium)
Castor bean (Ricinus communis)
Christmas rose (Helleborus niger)
Common nightshade (Solanum nigrum)
Daphne
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
Delphinium
Gopher plant (Euphorbia lathyrus)
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens)
Jimson weed (Datura stramonium)
Lantana (Lantana camara)
Larkspur (Delphinium)
Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis)
Mistletoe
Mushrooms
Nicotiana
Oleander
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
Rosary bean (Abrus precatorius)
Stinking nightshade (Hyoscyamus niger)
Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata)
Wisteria
For a more complete plant list, contact the Poison Center Health Education line at (800) 582-3387.
Most of the preceding toxic plants grow outdoors. If you have curious children and pets that chew, do
not plant these potentially dangerous plants in your yard. If these plants are already in your garden or
on your property, consider removing them or fencing them. If neither is an option, do not leave children
or pets unsupervised in those areas. Remember, it takes only the second you turn your back for a
poisoning to occur.
Can pets get poisoned from plants?
As a general rule, plants that are listed as toxic to humans should also be
considered toxic to animals. There are a few cases of plants considered
non-toxic or mildly toxic to humans causing problems to animals
What to do for a plant poisoning
Remove any remaining plant parts from the mouth.
If the victim is choking and cannot breathe, call 9-1-1.
Otherwise, call the Poison Control Center.
If you are advised to go to an emergency room for treatment, take the plant or a part of
the plant with you. Do not take a single leaf or a single berry.
If you are advised to go to a nursery to get the plant identified, keep in mind that plants
are usually not very quickly digested, so there is time to get a correct identification. The
correct name can result in the proper treatment to prevent symptoms from occurring if the
plant was poisonous. If the plant was not dangerous, knowing the name can prevent
needless treatment and worry.
FOR THE POISON CONTROL CENTER, Call: 1-800-876-4766
anytime, anyplace in California