Poisonous Ornamental Plants

Plants are considered to be the backbone of a garden. The usually non-hazardous and safe-looking plants may have a life-threatening secret. There are many plants in the world which are a serious threat to the lives of humans and animals.

Let us look into some of the poisonous ornamental plants in the world.

Chinaberry: A native to the Himalayas and eastern Asia, it has been introduced to the southern United States. Chinaberry leaves have insecticidal properties. They are used for storage of grains and fruits. The 5-grooved seeds are used in making rosemaries or articles made of beads. This plant is considered poisonous. The symptoms of poisoning occur few hours after ingestion. These include vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation or diarrhea, bloody feces, stomach pain, pulmonary congestion, rigidity, lack of coordination and general weakness. Death may occur within 24 hours.

Wisteria: The romantic cascades of lush blue, pink or white are Wisterias. They are found in the South and Southwest of America. It is said that the entire plant, excluding the flowers is poisonous. Please do not attempt to eat the flowers, as precaution is always better than cure. Also known as the kidney bean tree, it causes vomiting, nausea, cramps and diarrhea on ingestion. Treatment includes intravenous hydration and anti-nausea pills.

Foxglove: The enchanting looking purple, white or pink bell-shaped flowers with or without dots are called Foxgloves. This pretty plant is used for the preparation of drugs for cardiac problems. If any part of the plant is eaten, it may cause nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, abdominal pain, wild hallucinations, delirium, and severe headache. Depending on the dose, it may further cause heart block or increased or lowered heart rate. The treatment may include use of charcoal to absorb the toxins or pumping the stomach. Drugs like Lidocaine have to be administered for bringing the heart rate to normal.

Daffodils: William Wordsworth, writer of the lovely poem 'Daffodils' would have never imagined that eating the bulbs of this plant could lead to death. The poisonous bulbs on ingestion, cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The ingestion of the stem leads to blurred vision, headache and vomiting. Intravenous hydration and drugs may be recommended by the doctor to treat nausea and diarrhea. The calcium oxalate in the sap causes "daffodil itch", which is often seen in florists. The symptoms include dryness, fissures, scaling, and redness of skin in the hands, often accompanied by thickening of the skin beneath the nails.

Deadly Night Shade: These night-loving plants have a shade of mystical danger and scientific caution. It is also known as the Bella Donna, which means 'beautiful woman' as the Italian women used the sap from these plants to dilate their pupils in order to make them look more beautiful. The use of this deadly plant spread throughout history. The ancient Greeks used it for hallucination and torture. The person who is given this deadly poison often fails to find the difference between truth and fantasy. It is said that the army of Mark Antony was given the Deadly Night Shade as a poison during the parathion wars. It was the same poison that Macbeth used to poison a party of Danes during a truce. It is used as a sedative in Nepal. Moroccans use it to increase the memory and also as an aphrodisiac. It is also used to fortify marijuna by illegal drug traders.

Manchineel tree: The Manchineel tree is native to Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Central America, and northern South America. Its leaves and fruits superficially resemble those of an Apple tree. The tree and its parts contain toxic substances. A white milky substance is secreted during rainfall. It is advisable not to take shade under this tree during rains, as mere contact with the substance causes blistering of the skin. One should be careful while burning this tree, as the smoke may lead to blindness. The fruits of this tree are also deadly. The sap, if used as poison can lead to a slow and painful death.

Yellow Jessamine: The eye-catching yellow flowers of this twining vine are often confused by children as honey-suckle. The plant contains toxic alkaloids gelsemine and gelsiminine. This plant causes nausea and vomiting. The poisoning from this plant is often fatal. The nectar gathered from the flowers may cause brood death in bees. The sap may also cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

These were a few plants which can be described as deadly. Despite the hazards, we grow many of these poisonous plants in our gardens for aesthetic and ornamental beauty of their flowers. Often, these plants crop up unknowingly in our backyards. It really helps when you know the facts about a plant before eating any part of it; however tempting it may be!