"Natural" does not mean "harmless"

As a proponent of natural products, I am not saying that all natural plants are good for you or that they are perfectly safe. Let's be smart! Do your homework. 

Many plants are poisonous to one degree or other; some will make you sick or alter your mental state. Nature's deterrent is that most toxic plants smell horrid! Ever sniffed a lily?  Blech! There are a few that in small doses can kill you, like Caster Bean seeds. The onion family is toxic to dogs as are tomatoes and potatoes (the foliage, not the produce). Even parts of many fruits are toxic if ingested in sufficient quantities. 

So what are the most toxic plants?

• Lilies are one of the top 5 poisonous plants in the world for both humans and animals!  Many pets, livestock, and young children die each year from eating lilies! You can still have them in your garden, just keep the kids and pets away. As mentioned above, they are not pleasant smelling.

• Foxglove is an old wildflower that can be very toxic. It has been around since the Middle Ages, tucked in between the tomatoes and chives. Authors mention it in many "mysteries" as the poison of choice.  It has been used in the past to produce digitalin, which is used to treat heart conditions. Digitalis toxicity causes abnormal heart rate, cardiac arrhythmia, dilated pupils, tremors, seizures, and death.  Don't try to make your own digitalin!!

  

  Deadly Foxglove, Georgeous Flowers



• Apple seeds contain small quantities of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside. If you swallowed all the pips from one apple, there would not be enough poison to harm you. However, if you kept eating mouthfuls, you would eventually reach a fatal dose.

• Rhubarb has edible stalks, but the leaves contain oxalic acid, which can cause serious kidney disorders, convulsions and coma. The stalks, however, make a great rhubarb pie!


• Daffodils have bulbs that are toxic and can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  If enough is consumed, it can be fatal. The stems are also toxic and can cause blurred vision, vomiting and headaches.

• More flowers and plants that are toxic: hydrangeas, chrysanthemum, poison ivy, poison sumac, iris, ivy, mistletoe

• Toxic to pets: begonias, python, philodendron, etc. 

• Fruits and vegetables that are toxic to pets: grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, cherries, mushrooms, currants, raw and green potatoes, apricot, rhubarb, apple seeds,  tomato plants