Gardening is an activity of planting and growing plants as a part of horticulture. You can grow varied flowers or different vegetables depending on the type of soil, climate, and other surroundings.
Everything that is beautiful should be good is not necessary. Just as it is quoted, “Everything that glitters is not gold”, in the same way, every colorful and attractive plant is safe to grow is not essential.
Some of them might be harmful to the soil and dangerous to grow because of the poison they hold in some of their parts or the entire plant. Avoiding dangerous plants is the secret of healthy gardening. There are few plants that one should be aware of while gardening.
A Guide to Dangerous Plants
A list of such dangerous plants along with their impact on people, which one should avoid growing is listed below:
1. Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum)
Deadly parts: The whole plant is dangerous.
Swallowing any part of the plant might make you feel sick. You may start salivating from the mouth, and you will start to puke instantly and brutally.
2. Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis)
Deadly parts: The whole plant is hazardous, especially the leaves.
Although its bed looks pretty in the garden, it is highly lethal. It has high traces of convallatoxin that intensifies the heart’s contractions. Even if it enters the body in a small amount, it can cause headaches, hot flashes, hallucinations, and irritation and even red spots on cold, damp skin.
3. Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Deadly parts: The complete plant is unsafe, particularly the flower buds.
If you swallow a hydrangea, it is like you have exploded a cyanide pill. Hydragin is the poison, which is present inside it. It is a cyanogenic glycoside. Its intake results in shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting and a sudden increase in the pulse rate along with a fall in the blood pressure.
4. Poet’s Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus)
Deadly parts: The whole plant is fatal, in particular, the bulbs.
If someone inhales the fragrance of a narcissus bunch of flowers in an intact room, then it is strong enough to cause a severe headache. Brutal nausea, convulsions, unconsciousness and paralysis too is caused by the same plant. An open wound while gardening if came in contact with the secretions of the bulb can generate lurch, numbness and heart paralysis too in some cases.
5. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Deadly parts: The whole plant, in particular, the leaves of the upper stem.
Once you chew the leaf of foxglove, its effect starts within twenty minutes. It causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. By the intake’s amount unprocessed poison causes death because of low heart rate or a sudden uneven rhythm in the lower heart chambers.
6. Larkspur (Delphinium consolida)
Deadly parts: The whole plant is unsafe, although the young leaves and the mature seeds hold the maximum absorption of deadly alkaloids.
The tempting blue larkspurs are certainly just for the pleasure to eyes. Right away after its intake it causes nausea, ablaze in the mouth, vomiting, and gradually reducing the pace of the heartbeats.
7. Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Deadly parts: The complete plant is risky, as well as its nectar and sap.
It’s every single leaf contains a high amount of toxic substances, which will prove to be very lethal. Just like other dangerous plants, its intake also has fatal results. It firstly affects the digestive system causing diarrhea and vomiting, which in turn can become life-endangering circulatory problems. In some severe cases, it might even blow the person’s central nervous system.
8. Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
Deadly parts: The milky sap, which is found in the veins of the plant is unsafe and poisonous.
Poinsettia causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is not as poisonous as compared to other poisonous plants that one should avoid growing. Although it is less poisonous one should not plant them.
9. Purple Nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
Deadly parts: The whole plant is poisonous, predominantly its berries, roots, and leaves.
As soon as one keeps a handful of berries in the mouth, he/she will be affected physically and will not be able to call for help. It affects the voice of the person
. After the loss of voice, it even affects the respiration and increases the complications, severe digestive disruption, and violent convulsions will also begin.
10. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Deadly parts: The leaves, twigs, flowers, and pollen of mountain laurel are lethal and poisonous.
This plant is filled with andromedotoxins, which affects the gastrointestinal tract. It results in the watering of the mouth, eyes, and nose, which is pretty ordinary. Irregular and short breath and unhurried heartbeat are also the outcomes of the same. In some severe and fatal conditions, kidney failure can occur as well. Know more about the essentials for your garden improvement.
11. Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens)
Deadly parts: The entire plant is poisonous, particularly the berries.
Either you eat few leaves, berries or shoots it will lead to pain in the abdomen and diarrhea. Even drinking mistletoe flavored tea will result in the same. In some fatal cases, the intake of mistletoe has led to the burning of the stomach and small intestine in particular.
Over and Above the List
The list of the harmful plants is quite long. Other than the above mentioned and briefly explained deadly plants other names amongst that one should be aware of when gardening includes:
- Angel’s Trumpet
- Agrostemma Githago
- Dumb Cane
- Dogbane, Henbane
- Privet
- Sumach
- Yew
- Taro
- Winter Cherry Spurge
- Aloe
- Arum
- Christmas cheery
- Chinese evergreen
Planting the fatal plants will only have disastrous results in the end.
Our Guidance
The dangerous plants prove to be harmful not only for your garden but also might result in deteriorating the health of the people. Hence, the presence of the dangerous plants should be avoided while you make up your mind for organic gardening. We hope the details as mentioned above about the dangerous plants prove beneficial to you.
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